Scream
by Renolvr
Summary: Four years after Cloud's death and AVALANCHE's imprisonment at the hands of Sephiroth,leaving their kids to fend for themselves,Ross Strife refuses to fight having watched his father's death,Sephiroth decides that the teenagers need dealing with.......
1. Memories

"Fuck it!"

Ross Strife continued to curse foully under his breath as the heavens opened and rain poured down upon him. The spikey-haired youth quickened his pace as the first flash of lightning lit up the evening sky, closely followed by a deafening roll of thunder. He paused as he passed an electrical store; a television in its window now showing the news………he shook his head as he read the banner across the bottom of the screen;

_**Several WRO members charged with political treason and disturbing the peace…**_

"Bullshit!"

Several other people, who had also been gazing in the window of the store in an aid to keep up to date with the happenings on Gaia, all turned their heads as the swear broke the relative silence, Ross pulled his hood further over his already rain-soaked head as he turned and began walking away once more, not wanting to attract any further attention to himself; he'd been left alone this long, but just a little too much notice could lead to being charged with _political treason_ himself………

"Wait a minute!"

Ross reluctantly turned back around as an aged woman called after him; he raised a blonde eyebrow questioningly in her direction, the old woman stared at the youth for several seconds before realization light up her eyes;

"Ross Strife; Cloud and Tifa's youngster, that's you isn't it?"

Ross shook his head as several other people immediately tuned into the conversation as the well-known surname was heard…

"Sorry; you've got the wrong person, not me………"

The aged woman shook her head adamantly and opened her mouth to protest, but then quickly shut it again as she realised the situation she had placed the teenager in; it wasn't safe for him to go around shouting his parentage…not anymore anyhow.

"Forgive me, I'm must have been mistaken…"

Ross shrugged and once again began walking away, silently relieved as he heard numerous sets of footsteps trailing away from the store window; evidently taking the woman's actions as that of a genuine mistake.

* * *

The blonde teenager walked on through several more alleys before his acute hearing, compliments of the Mako he'd inherited from his father, picked up on the echo of additional footsteps, he paused and turned around; bracing himself for the worst as the thoughts of remnants and shadow creepers shot through his young mind, but to his utter shock; the aged woman stood opposite him in the rain-drenched alley, he stayed on his guard nonetheless; in the four years that had followed Sephiroth's rise to power and his own father's death-no; _murder_…the youth had learned the hard way that it wasn't safe to trust anyone anymore…he'd been alone with years at this stage; having his father killed right in front of his young eyes, and then his mother and the only family he'd ever known taken away and leaving him to fend for himself on the streets; had hardened the youth's heart to an unbearable level………

"What d'you want? I'm not him, you were wrong woman!"

The old lady smiled through tears as she took several steps towards the defensive teenager,

"I'm surprised at you Ross, I certainly remember you, although I must say; you've sprouted quiet a bit since the last time I babysat you…"

Ross felt his shimmering blue eyes widen in shock as he suddenly remembered the lady, she'd been like a grandmother to him and all of the other kids; looking after them and babysitting them whilst their parents were preoccupied with matters of which did not exist anymore; the matter of fighting the good side………

"Elmyra?"

Elmyra Gainsborough nodded her head as the youth spoke, she felt her heart give a pang as the teenager lowered the hood of his hoody and took several steps forward; Ross had inherited his father's looks to a tee; the same spikey blonde hair, the same pale complexion, the same shimmering blue eyes………………But unbeknownst to both Elmyra and Ross; a third person was watching the reunion; the young looking woman smiled lightly as she tucked a few stray strands of rain-soaked chocolate hair that had fallen over her amethyst hued irises, back behind her left ear………

* * *

"Thanks…"

Ross gratefully took a mug of hot tea from Elmyra, it had taken the aged woman much persuasion to get the youth in off the lashing streets for the time being; she wanted to make sure the youngster was alright; it had been over four years since she'd seen the lad, and he'd grown up rapidly since; gone was the boyish looks and slight chubbiness of the cheeks; a strong, lean, good-looking young man now sat on her sofa in the boy's place………

Ross shot another glance to the clock on the mantelpiece; 9:30…he should have been back by now; Jared would be ringing him soon………"

"Do you know where Declan is?"

The youth tore his gaze away from the clock as he heard Elmyra's question, he was set on edge by its worried tone………

"Why, what's goin on?"

Elmyra sat down on the edge of the armchair opposite Ross, she shouldn't have known it in the first place, but she couldn't _**not**_ give the teenager a heads' up…

"If my memory is correct; his birthday is next Wednesday, he'll be eighteen, making him eligible to seize control of his father's business………"

Ross shot to his feet, partially out of hope of any information on AVALANCHE and ShinRa…

"Why? Has something happened to Rufus, did Sephiroth ki-"

"Calm down a minute Ross; as far as I am aware; no, Rufus is still alive, as is your mother and the others, but Sephiroth has a scientist in employment, I am not sure of his name, but as stated earlier this week; persons convicted of political treason are to under-go treatment under this scientists name…oh, what was his darn name!?"

Elmyra scrunched her eyes slightly; fighting for the memory of the man's name, it was just on the tip of her tongue…

"Hojo, the man's name's Hojo…"

Ross needed no reminding as the name sprung from his lips; he'd heard many a tale from his father and the Turks of this man's sadistic_ treatments_…

Elmyra nodded; that was his name alright, she carried on from what she'd been first explaining;

"Later this week; all law, if you can call it that, enforcers are being put on the look out for Declan; if he's seen he is to be reprimanded, along with any youths that stand by him, Sephiroth is starting to cop onto the fact that you five may hold grudges………"

Ross turned and headed for the door, unwilling to be dragged into fighting; he'd seen the repercussions of it…

"All I want to do is stay unnoticed Elmyra; I watched Dad fighting that day, I saw what Kadaj was doing…and I couldn't stop him………what use would I be?"

"Ross, please; I didn't mean it that way…"

Elmyra followed the youth out into the hall of her home, now painfully aware of how much the past had affected the young man, he'd watched his father's death, one could hardly expect anyone to remain the same after witnessing such a thing…but the likes of such bravery was in lack again; Sephiroth had already ordered the repair of several Mako reactors; two of such machines had been erected on the outskirts of Edge and now slowly pumped the life from the planet once more; the planet was suffering, people – innocent people were suffering, living in a hell on earth; a slowly dying planet, ruled by the biggest mistake of nature - a Nightmare, aswell as a corrupt and backwards government………AVALANCHE were needed once more.

Ross turned back to face his grandmother figure;

"What did you mean then, I'll let Declan know what you said………"

Elmyra shook her head; it didn't matter, if Sephiroth wanted the teenager, then he'd find the youngster; no questions asked about it.

"Ross, please; it won't be enough; he wants you, and he's going to come after you; all of you; Jared, Declan, Robbie and Aiveen included, he wants to finish off what he started, and there's no one left to stand in his way; no one unless you five do otherwise; your father trained you, I remember watching the two of you sparring –"

"Yeah; and he was a hundred times better a fighter than me; and look what happened, what chance would I stand?!"

Elmyra remained silent, she had no answer to the youth's statement, what could she say? The silence of the hall way split in two as Tokio Hotel's "Scream", blared into life; emanating from the teenager's pocket…

Ross withdrew his phone and answered quickly;

"Yeah?"

"Ross, everything okay, you're late, Aiveen's getting fair worked up…"

"Look, I'm fine, I'm heading back now, I just ran into someone I knew is all…"

Elmyra watched the teenager as he hung up and placed his mobile back within the confines of his jeans pockets…

"Ross I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought it up…"

Ross just nodded; he knew the state the planet was in; and he didn't blame her, or anyone for that matter, for wanting someone like his father; someone who'd help…but he wasn't Cloud………

"Don't sweat it, thanks for the tea Elmyra, but I've to head back; Aiveen's getting on Declan's case again………

"Here; take this…"

The youth stared at the gil the aged woman had placed in his hand; it was a lot! Way too much for her to be just giving away…

"Elmyra; I can't, it's-"

"It's not; take it…_**please?**_"

Ross grudgingly placed the gil in his back pocket and turned for the door once more, talking quietly as he pulled it shut behind him;

"Thank-you…"

* * *

"Is he okay? Why's he late? Did he get hurt? Where is he? When'll he be back? How co-"

"Slow de fuck down Aiveen! Ya talk too fast girl!"

Robbie Highwind shook his head; how in the name of Gaia could the teenager talk so fast and not realise it? It was near impossible to understand what the hyperactive young woman said at times!

Aiveen Valentine stared at the ground; feigning to be sorry as Robbie continued to shake his head…Jared Tothva simply grinned at this; having just turned nineteen; he was the eldest of the five teenagers; with Aiveen and Ross being the youngest at seventeen, Declan ShinRa was just about to hit his eighteenth, and Robbie had turned it just over a month ago now…that's pretty much all they ever did since they were kids; slag each other!!! He laughed as he began to answer Aiveen's questions; being the only one capable of deciphering the gibberish…

"Ross's fine, he said he ran into someone he knew, as far as I know he's not hurt, and he should be back any minute………"

* * *

"If it's not raining, it's fucking freezing"

Ross tucked his hands deeper into the pocket that stretched across the front of his dark navy hoody in an attempt to warm their numb fingertips; the weather was always depressing in Edge! The youth found himself thinking over what Elmyra had said; he suddenly realised that if Sephiroth and his forces did, in fact, decide to come after Declan and the rest of them; they didn't have much of a hope; yes; he was trained with a buster sword, Robbie with a lance, Aiveen was an exceptional ninja; but had always preferred gun-slinging, Declan and Jared could both handle firearms…but what use was all these when they had no resources or weapons? They were sitting ducks!

Ross froze upon catching a shadow moving across the mouth of the alley, he looked back and noticed the same thing happening with the other end…the youth's guard went up immediately,

"What's your name?"

Ross kept his hooded head low as the approached the numerous ShinRa troops, hoping that he might be able to fob them off,

"Johnny…"

"Your surname boy!"

"Shinoda…"

"I doubt that – I know your voice………Ross………"

The teenager froze dead in his tracks as a new voice echoed through the freezing night air, he knew that voice too, and hated it more than anything he had ever hated before in his life………

Kadaj watched the hooded figure with apprehension as it's breath continued to rise and freeze in the cold air of the night………

Ross looked around quickly in search of an escape root, or weakness in the troops, but found none. He shook his head as he realised he was left with no other option…the teenager lowered his hood and raised his fists, he may have been trained by his father at swordsmanship, but his mother had also been a martial arts master………

Kadaj smirked maliciously upon seeing the youth's face; he bore many similarities to the once venerable Cloud Strife…

"All grown up I see…"

Ross watched on as the remaining two remnants appeared alongside the most disturbing of the trio; he seriously didn't want to have to fight if he could avoid it…

Before the youth had time to register what was happening, his back collided forcefully with that of a brick wall of a building, the teenager crumpled to the ground as the breath was jarred from his lungs…

Loz stood smirking as he retracted his dual-hound from the spot the teenager had stood only seconds earlier, delight evident on his face as the young man struggled to his feet…

Ross staggered to his feet, clutching the right side of his ribs where the dual-hound had struck; _fuck, that hurt more than I thought it would_…

However much the not-so-graceful collision with the solid brick wall may have pained the youngster, it was quickly forgotten about as the sound of a gunshot resonated throughout the alleyway, and excruciating pain struck the seventeen year old in his left shoulder; the youth faltered as he grasped his wounded shoulder with his right hand………

"You appear to be as persistent as your father was…Ross."

Ross looked up as the cold, sadistic voice of the Nightmare could be heard, he found himself gazing into uncaring jade irises; a forceful kick sent the youth skidding back along the rough pavement………Ross unintentionally allowed a cry to escape his lips as a particularly vicious kick to the gut caught him off guard, closely followed by another to his back, then his head………

Sephiroth watched on in amusement as his three brothers and several on his troops repeatedly kicked the teenager as he lay on the ground; he smirked darkly as he spoke to the night sky;

"Pathetic, then again; what was I expecting; he is your son after all, Cloud."

"_**Enough!"**_

Sephiroth looked up as the shout echoed and a flash of silvery-violet caught the corner of his eye; several troops fell to the ground, defeated as all three remnants were thrown backwards at force; each one colliding with the same wall that Ross had, each one crumpling as the force of the collision sent their heads into temporary darkness…

Sephiroth swung his masamune down towards the unconscious teenager; determined to nip this youngster in the bud before he actually became a problem, but to his utter astonishment; his blade halted suddenly as the sound of clashing metal filled the cold air………

Sephiroth stared in shock over his clashing sword at that of his new adversary; he knew that chocolate coloured hair, tied up in a braid as she stood against him, he knew those amethyst eyes that shimmered with mako energy, he had gazed into them many times before………he allowed the name to fall from his thin lips without even knowing it was there;

"Rika………"


	2. A Woman Scorned

A/N; Anyone who wants to know; Rika Hewley is not my OC; she's an amazing, thoroughly worked out character that belongs to my favourite authoress, and one of my bestest friends; Retro Lamb!!!!! I'm still over the moon at getting the opportunity to use this character!!!!!! Thanks a hundred times over Lamb; you're in one in a million!!!!!

* * *

Rika glared hatefully into the cold green eyes of her once-upon-a-time lover as she kept her blade; the Sol Blade raised. Her weapon consisted of a long blade, albeit not as elongated as that of the Nightmare's, it's design was similar to that of a rapier (think Genesis' sword peoples!), it's hilt decorated with elegant silver carvings, and it gleamed a silvery-purple hue incontrast to it's usual silver, marking the fact that she had preformed a sword art, channelling energy into the blade, before she had raised it to the Masamune…the young looking woman held her stance between the unconscious figure of Ross and the Nightmare as Sephiroth broke the clash, backing up a couple of metres as he tried to understand why the female he had literally left for dead in the ruins of Nibelheim, was now standing in his way………

"Rika, you are alive-"

"No fucking thanks to you!"

As the accusing statement reverberated throughout the night's air, something clicked within the confines of the Nightmare's head;_ she has chosen __**their **__side………_

With unnatural speed, the Nightmare advanced on the woman; but received a vicious knee to the lower torso as payment for his actions – hell hath no fury like a woman scorned!

Sephiroth smirked darkly, momentarily savouring the unfamiliar sensation of pain before once again making an angered blow towards her………

Rika smirked slightly as she once again brought her Sol Blade up in a masterful arc; blocking the resilient Masamune…

"Have you seriously sunk that low Sephiroth…picking on kids………you're not half the man I knew!"

Sparks flew as the two contrasting blades continued to clash, each landing only minor blows to their skilled opponents…Sephiroth faltered slightly as a particularly vicious punch made contact with that of his right cheek; it caught the Nightmare off guard and sent him sprawling on the, still, rain-flooded pavement of the alley…

Rika looked from where the Nightmare was slowly regaining his stance to where Ross lay; still out stone-cold…she quickly weighed up her options and made a hasty decision, based on the mothering side of her conscience………Rika holstered her blade and moved quickly; hoisting the blonde youth up; she placed one of his arms around the back of her neck and closed her free arm around his waist………grinning slightly as she spoke under her breath;

"Wings; don't fail me now………"

Sephiroth turned just in time to see a white wing spread from each of Rika's shoulder blades and the woman launch herself into the night sky; along with that of the injured seventeen year old, a small smirk played on his thin lips as he looked around the dank alley at his defeated brothers and troops, then looked back to the night sky as he spoke;

"It seems you are slightly angry with me Rika………"

* * *

"Fuck it!"

Declan slapped his phone shut as he, once again, heard Ross's voicemail. It had been over an hour since Jared had rang the blonde and he still hadn't returned; what was even more worrying; he was no longer answering his mobile………

"I'm going out to find him!"

Aiveen stood quickly from where she had been sitting on an old pew in the very same church where the Geostigma epidemic had been healed via Lifestream infused water………and in which they were forced to call home, worry clouded her elegant features; Ross, her boyfriend and one of her best friends was missing, and she didn't have an iota what to do with herself!

"Yeah, and dat'll be two 'o' you missin', what good'll dat do for us?"

The seventeen year old spun on the rough talking blonde eighteen year old; anger flashing in her crimson eyes;

"Then tell me what to fucking do Robbie! Coz I sure as hell don't know what!"

"Ya can start by calmin the hell down girl! I woz only pointin out the obvious!"

Aiveen took a breath to launch a few more foul-mouthed rants Robbie's way, but her comments died in her throat as someone seemingly dropped from the hole that was present in the church's roof; it took several minutes for the remaining three males to cop onto the fact that the angered Aiveen had spotted something…someone...

* * *

Rika looked up as running footsteps were heard, within seconds; the owner of the feet appeared and stopped dead in her tracks upon resting her blood hued irises on her boyfriend.

"Who the hell are you!"

Jared looked to the strange woman; confusion and anger evident in the depths of his blue eyes; inherited from his mother; Elena………

"I'm –"

Rika cut her introduction short as Ross began to come to, the teenager groaned slightly as pain flared into life; compliments of the beating he'd just endured…

"I'll explain everything in a bit; for now though; I'm Rika, I'm here to help you guys………"

All four remaining teenagers looked to each other; they hadn't been aware that they'd needed help………

* * *

"W-what happened?"

Aiveen watched on as the woman; Rika, set about dealing with Ross's injuries; the most evident being the bullet wound in his left shoulder blade. Rika examined the youth's wounded shoulder for several seconds before shaking her head;

"Fuck it! The bullet's still in his shoulder - fucking would be wouldn't it!?"

She raised on of her hands and took a hair pin, which had aided in holding up several shorter strands of her deep brown hair, and then turned her shimmering eyes to the remaining three male teenagers, fully aware that Ross not only had Mako in his body, but had inherited Jenova Cells via his father aswell...

"Hold him down while I do this; if the bullet stays in his shoulder it'll cause lead poisoning eventually..."

Once the three youths had done as instructed, Rika turned her attention back to the tedious job of extracting the bullet...

* * *

Ross snapped his gleaming cerulean eyes open as excruciating pain shot through his left shoulder, he cried out as it only grew worse, in his confused state he attempted to sit up, but was halted by several pairs of hands pinning him down...and still the pain continued...he struggled against his restraints; convinced it was them that was causing him this unbearable pain...but just as he thought he would surely die, his eyes rolled back in their sockets as darkness, once again, eveloped his consciousness...Aiveen closed her eyes as her boyfriend's pained shouts of agony echoed throughout the confines of the church...and then it suddenly stopped.

* * *

"He's gonna be out for a while, but I reckon he'll be okay, apart from the bullet wound; he has a few broken ribs, and just some minor cuts and bruises."

Declan nodded as Rika spoke, they'd just finished patching up the battered blonde, and he was now lying in a tiny room that led off of the church; it had probably been used as a storage area when the church had been at it's height...but now, all it was used for now was a sort of bedroom for the only girl amongst four lads; Aiveen.

Rika sat down heavily at the side of the lake that had been essential in the healing of Geostigma, a thought coming to mind; she looked across it to where the four youths now sat;

"Can this water still be used to heal?"

Jared shook his head as stared at the serene lake, his eyes scanning its mirror like surface...

"Nah, that was one of the first things Sephiroth made sure of after Cloud died; he tainted the water with his will; cancelling out the healing effect of its properties...who are you?"

Rika sighed as the youth raised his head, just enough so as his eyes met hers' across the shimmering lake...

"My name is Rika Hewley, I'm a former member of SOLDIER, and I was second in command to Sephiroth."

At the sound of her surname, Declan looked up; having heard the name on countless occasions when he was younger...and all in the world had still been right...

"Angeal Hewley, was he your-"

"Half-brother, we have the same father, but different mothers, well; more so; _**had**_ different mothers...I'm aware of Angeal's death..."

Robbie was the next to voice a question;

"What happened Ross?"

"To be blunt; Sephiroth, remnants and some of his troops; they cornered him in an alley...he was lucky that I showed up; Sephiroth seriously wants you lot to disappear, two minutes later and Ross'd have been another victim of _political treason_..."

Aiveen stared at the woman, thankful for her help; but still slightly confused as to the agenda of her actions...

"Why did you help? Why did you say you're here to help us?"

Rika got to her feet, dusting off her faded and ripped blue jeans, then raised both of her hands to her hair and set about unbraiding it as she answered the question;

"Because what Sephiroth is doing is wrong, he's caused too much sorrow on this planet as it stands, he has to be taken down...and I've been shadowing you five for the best part of two weeks now; it's becoming clearer and clearer that his forces are getting ready to pounce, I've noticed several of his under-cover Turks following you through the city, but I don't think any of them've fathomed out where you're living...he's coming after you; whether you fight or not; pose a threat or not, he wants rid of you before you are given the opportunity to...and I owe him for something, he hurt me bad; and he's gonna pay one way or another!"

"How? How did he hurt you that much? You're still alive and all, he doesn't really have a habit of letting people he hates live..."

Rika actually laughed lightly as she heard Declan's statement, easy know he was young...he hadn't yet been a victim of love...…

"It's not so much physically he hurt me - well; actually he did. Here, look; let's start from the beginning on this one, you may aswell get comfortable; this could take a while...I was Sephiroth's second in command, but I was also his lover; his girlfriend before the Nibelheim incident, I loved him, well; at least, I _thought_ I did...I was ordered to check on why his regiment had neglected to check in with base in Midgar, so I went to Nibelheim, and after a bit of searching; I found him in the basement of ShinRa Mansion, he'd been down there with the best part of a week at that stage; leafing through paper work...I went down to the basement, but knew straight off that something wasn't right...I can still remember his words when I arrived; _So the traitor has come..._, I can remember asking what he meant, he pushed me to the floor and then went on and on about humans being traitors to the Cetra race - the Ancients. I tried to talk sense into him, but I stopped when I saw his eyes...they were cold and sadistic, I'd never seen him look at me like that before; it was like the way a predator looks at it's prey before it's final move... when I got up he told me he was finished with me, the next thing I remember is being pinned to the wall, his hand crushing my windpipe...then his face; dark and demented, hatred etched into every corner of his features...then all I remember before waking up in Hojo's lab, is Zack's face; he pulled me from the burning rubble of the house Sephiroth had left me in..."

The woman trailed off as numerous events replayed themselves within the confines of her mind, and still she couldn't understand why he had done what he had done, he had loved her, and her him; but then why did he break her heart so easily?

"How old're ya?"

Aiveen spun on her friend, slightly taken aback by his bluntness in asking such a question, Robbie moved before the girl had a chance to make a swipe at him, then turned back to face Rika, who had eventually succeeded in releasing her medium length, wavy chocolate hued hair from it's constraining braid...

"I'm not meanin ta sound rude here now, but; ya looks about twenty-six, twenty-seven, but ya can't be that young if ya were dere for the Nibelheim thing!"

Rika grinned as she noticed the confused tinge to the youngster's rough accent;

"Very perceptive of you; and thanks for saying I looked that young! Major ego boost there! Anyhow; I mentioned Hojo, I was taken by him after the Nibelheim massacre, and well, not wanting to go into specifics here, was used as a test subject of his, and that's all I'm gonna say about his works...but one of the effects of one of his experiments is slow ageing-"

"He used stagnated lifestream on you..."

The woman turned her Amyethest eyes to the only other female, a smile still on her face;

"Yes he did, and I thought you'd cop that one alright, Ms. Valentine...so, to be honest; I'm actually forty-four..."

* * *

_"Something has you riled today, Cloud, I wonder what that could be?"_

_Cloud eyed his nemesis with utter most hatred as he stood between his son and the Nightmare having traded several blows with that latter, it was the first time he'd gone after Ross, this was a personal blow..._

_"Take a wild guess Sephiroth!"_

_Thirteen year old Ross Strife watched on from where he stood in front of the Meteor monument watching his father fight against Sephiroth...as the fighting began once more; the young teenager became aware of an additional enemy; behind his father..._

_"Dad; behind you!"_

_Cloud spun upon hearing his son's voice, but not quick enough to raise his feared blade; the First Tsurugi...his eyes shot wide as he felt the sensation of cold steel entering his body, he looked down through wide shimmering blue eyes to see Kadaj's double bladed sword penetrating his chest cavity..._

_**"Dad!"**_

_Ross shouted with all his might as his father's figure crumpled to the ground, any other person who heard the young teenager's heart-wrenching cry could feel a pang of pity; but to Kadaj; it had the opposite effect; an evilly delighted smirk spread across his face as the young blonde ran to where his father's figure now lay..._

_Ross rolled his father's body over, crying bitterly as he did so, at that moment in time; he didn't really care what anyone thought of him for crying..._

**"Dad!"**

Ross sat bolt upright in a bed as his nightmare came to and end; he suddenly became aware of the hot streaks that trailed down each of his pale cheeks, he hastily wiped them away, and made to climb from the bed, but stopped and lay back down as pain flared into life, every inch of his body hurt...he found himself running through the list of events that had transpired in the alley, the last thing in his memory being the word; _**enough**_...

_I don't want to fight...but he doesn't care if I choose to or not, and even if I don't fight; he's gonna keep trying...what the hell am I supposed to do? I can't just stay hidden, he's gonna find us sooner or later..._

With one swift decision; the blonde youth dragged himself from the bed and set about dressing himself; wincing as he pulled his hoody over his head; resulting into a painful flare that emanated from his left shoulder blade, Ross grabbed his phone and walked from the room; determination etched on his face.


	3. Damage

"Ross!"

Before the blonde youth had a chance to locate from which direction the voice had come from, a hand made contact with the back of his spikey head, the youth ducked in an attempt to avoid another slap;

"Aiveen, what the fuck did I do?! Stop hitting me already, I'm sore enough!"

Aiveen halted her attempts at slapping as she stared at her boyfriend,

"Don't you _**ever**_ do that again spikey!"

* * *

Rika found herself laughing lightly as the ebony haired young woman began to tear strips off of the injured youth; the youngster just couldn't win!

"How's the shoulder then?"

Ross tore his gaze from his angered girlfriend as an unfamiliar voice echoed through the still air of the church; he found himself looking to a young-looking female, he turned back to Aiveen a blonde eyebrow raised questioningly………it took the young Wutain only mere minutes to explain everything that had taken Rika the best part of an hour to do; all compliments to her unusual knack for talking at an unnatural, and sometimes, undecipherable speed.

Ross nodded his head towards the woman as he turned and made for the door of the church;

"Thanks…"

"Where're you going?"

The teenager smirked as he turned whilst still walking backwards;

"To cause some damage; if he's gonna come after us, then I'm gonna give him a reason to; fuck this sitting around and waiting shit; I'm sick of watching this world come tumbling down around me, I'm gonna fight."

Rika smirked as she, too, got to her feet;

"I was hoping you'd say that! First things first; weapons and a distraction…"

At this, Robbie looked up, a malicious grin upon his lips; 

"I never liked dem goddamn Mako-Reactors!"

* * *

"What is going on?!"

It was seven am the next morning when Sephiroth walked into the vast computer hall of ShinRa's Headquarters, which had since become his base, to find warnings flashing on most screens and technicians running every which way;

"_**Mako-Reactor 1 is down, sir."**_

Another closely followed this shout;

"_**Mako-Reactor 2 just went down!"**_

The Nightmare turned to that of his three brothers upon hearing the second shout; both reactors were now down; the two on the outskirts of Edge, anger began to rise within the former hero, who would dare tamper with his Reactors?!

"Find out who dared to oppose me and bring them here!"

Without so much as a word of question; the three remnants turned and exited the hall………

* * *

_"Ross; the remnants are gone; he's probably still inside so take it easy; stay unnoticed if you can, but if you can't, then; just make sure you give them hell; I'm gonna try and keep him busy…"_

"Thanks Rika."

Ross closed his phone as the woman hung up; he turned to face the four other youths; all of which had determined looks upon their faces………it had been an eventful morning so far; in the space of an hour Robbie had succeeded in damaging both Mako-Reactors to the extent that they could no longer function; all thanks to his limitless knowledge of mechanics, all of which had been drilled into his head from the moment of birth by his father; the foul-mouthed, chain-smoking, womanising, but yet loveable blonde pilot that was Cid Highwind!

Declan smirked slightly as they stood outside one of the entrances to the vast building that had once been the soon-to-be eighteen year old's home, the steel slide door was only accessible via the unlock code; something Sephiroth had probably changed since when he was fourteen, but it never hurt to try; the teen typed in several numbers, but was met by an invalid attempt screen, but instead of groaning and cursing the login keypad, Declan only grinned;

"Fine so; let's get creative!"

The teenager spent the next minute or so rapidly typing in numerical codes after numerical codes, over-riding the control pass-code…the youth stepped away, a satisfied grin on his face, as the door slid open………

* * *

"_**Why?"**_

Sephiroth turned full circle as the single word reverberated through the empty training hall he had been walking through, his feline-like jade irises came to rest on the figure of a young woman sitting among the bleachers; she wore faded and ripped blue jeans and dark red hoody that hid her large chest, a small smirk crept across his cold features…he knew she was the likely suspect of the two Mako-Reactors crashing…

"Why not?"

Rika stared right down towards the figure of the man, once-upon-a-time it had delighted her to hear his voice, to hear his voice in her ear…but now all it did was send shivers of pure hatred down the length of her spine………

"Don't bullshit me Sephiroth – I just want to know; that's all, I've spent years upon years wondering _**why**_…why you threw so much away in so little time – why you threw _**me**_ away………but I still don't have even a half decent answer to that!"

"You were a part of my life that was a lie; you were a lie………"

* * *

"Declan, you go with Robbie, you know where the computer control box is………"

The two youths nodded and quickly disappeared around one of the numerous corners, Ross turned back to face the two remaining teenagers;

"Aiveen and Jared; the mainframes…"

Again, both teenagers nodded and quickly took off in an opposite direction, leaving the spiky haired blonde to his own devices………

* * *

Rika felt the warm sensation of tears on her cheeks as she leaned her head back, so as she was now staring at the ceiling of the hall, and her long, wavy locks hung loosely over the back of her seat………

"So all we ever had was a lie then? All the times you told me you loved me…all the times you promised you would always love me…all the times I loved you – it was all a lie? You've lost your way Sephiroth, you're not the man I knew………you're a…a………"

Rika stopped; unwilling to utter the last word that was burned deep into her mind; she hated the man he was now; hated him to his core, but no matter how she tried; she couldn't forget the time they'd had together, the night's they'd laid in each other's embraces…_**how could he?**_

Sephiroth glared at the woman; she had once infatuated him; but now all he saw her as; was another enemy………he had thought he'd loved her, but how could he be sure; so much of his life had been lies, so much so; he could no longer differentiate between the truths and betrayals………

"Say it Rika, I am a…"

Rika shut her eyes and shook her head adamantly; fighting the urge to utter the one word, biting her tongue hard…

"Say it…"

Again, the woman shook her head………

* * *

Ross moved quickly through the corridors, keeping his ears pricked for the sound of approaching footsteps, if he could just get to the garage………

* * *

"It's the blue one!"

Robbie spun on the company heir as he once again corrected the eighteen-year-old ace mechanic, the rough talking blonde pointed the snips, that he had been carrying in his back pocket, towards the other blonde in a threatening manner as the last of his patience wore out;

"Listen up ShinRa; one more goddamn word outta you and guess wer dis fuckin snips is gonna go!?"

Declan eyed the snips; knowing that Robbie wasn't kidding, the youth simply nodded his head and stepped back, allowing the other youth free range of the situation; but knowing in his heart and soul what cutting the blue wire would do………

**_"Intruders – Intruders…"_**

Declan spun his head around as the synthesized voice echoed throughout the Headquarters, then turned back to the dubious Robbie;

"You spasticated ass! I told you it wasn't the blue one; now cut the yellow one and let's get the fuck outta here!"

* * *

"_**Say it Rika!"**_

Sephiroth surprised even himself as the shout escaped his lips, he wanted to know………Rika opened her shimmering eyes as his shout echoed around the empty hall, she stared straight down at him as she spoke;

"You're a _**monster**_ Sephiroth."

The Nightmare lowered his gaze as the words fell upon his ears…so that's what he was in her eyes now; a monster………but he didn't care for her anymore, and certainly didn't love her…but if these statements were true; then what was this agonizing pain in is chest?

The silence of the hall was interrupted as a synthesized voice announced intruders; his eyes flashed with anger as looked back to the female…Rika smirked as she stood;

"This is where the fun begins…_**my love**_………"

* * *

"Shit!" 

Ross looked around quickly as the sound of countless running feet were heard in response to the announcement of un-authorized personnel on the base, he did the only thing he could as the troops rounded the corner, he dagged into the nearest door………

* * *

**_"Freeze!"_**

Jared raised his hooded head as a female's voice was heard, accompanied by the sound of a gun being cocked; from behind him…the voice was familiar………

Elena Tothva (anyone who reads my other fanfics knows that I always give this couple this surname!) eyed the hooded figure with apprehension, no one had ever succeeded in getting into the base unnoticed before, and Gaia knew the woman knew of everything that happened within the confines of the vast building, the building which had since become her prison, hers' and her husbands, - for four long years she had been subjected to beatings, to imprisonment, to work for the planets' biggest fuck up of all; for Sephiroth; but what really broke the woman was the thought of her only child being left parentless on the streets of Edge, and her not being even able to watch him………

"Lower you hood!"

Jared stared at his mother as she kept her gun aimed straight for his head; he knew if she pulled the trigger, her aim would be true; the woman never missed! The youth raised a hand to his hoody's hood and pulled it back, while keeping his stance between the still working Aiveen and his oblivious mother………

The sound of clattering metal was heard at Elena allowed her gun to escape her grip out of shock; she uttered one word as she gazed into the youth's blue eyes;

"Jared?"

Jared nodded his head, and before the youth had a chance to say even one word, arms closed around him, he looked down the few inches; it had been a long time since he'd felt a mother's embrace…

* * *

"Fuck!"

Ross turned from where he'd closed the door to see numerous black-suited individuals looking at him incredulously………now was not the best time to be in a Turk's lounge! The teenager blocked several blows as the Turk's quickly realised that one of the intruders had just entered their lounge and made to reprimand the youth.

"Damn, the kid's good yo!"

Ross grinned despite himself as he heard the telltale _yo_ he hadn't heard with years, a flash of vivid red caught his attention as a particularly well-aimed blow hit him in the left shoulder; agony flared into life, compliments of the bullet wound he's sustained the previous night, the youth called out without even thinking;

"Reno, you thick fuck!"

The fiery-haired member of the Turks, who had since become a prisoner of his job, stopped mid-blow as recognised the voice of the hooded teenager;

"Ross yo?"

Cissnei caught the top of the individual's hood and yanked it back, revealing the delinquent's face; Ross grinned slightly as he rubbed his shoulder as he spotted numerous familiar faces among the Turks; Reno, Rude, Cissnei………

"Check the Turk's lounge!"

Ross looked around quickly as he recognised the voice that shouted from the outside corridor; it seemed the remnants had returned…

"C'mon yo!"

Reno caught the teenager roughly and literally threw him into the large seven foot tall cupboard where the fridge had been, he slapped the door shut on the youth and whispered under his breath;

"Stay quiet; you can explain when they're gone yo…"

Reno just about managed to return to his original seat, sprawled across the sofa, as the door opened and in walked the ever-demented Kadaj………The youngest remnant immediately set his gaze to the lying down Turk;

"Stand up!"

"I'm watchin something yo!"

"Get up now!"

The remaining Turks watched on as Reno grudgingly dragged himself from the sofa to his feet………

"Did an intruder come in here?"

Reno, as trademarked as ever, shrugged his shoulders;

"Dunno, I was watching the telly yo…don't think so."

Kadaj smirked as the Turk continued to stare past him, obviously not giving the remnant the least bit of respect whatsoever………

"_**Ughh!"**_

Reno fell to his knees as an unmerciful blow to the gut drove the air from his body…………Kadaj bent down and whispered into to the Turks ear;

"Next time I tell you to do something – you do it! Or you'll be the next to pay Hojo a visit red! Much more Mako in your body and you'll find out just how painful Mako poisoning is!"

Reno stared after the remnant as he walked back out of the lounge, then spoke, knowing the evil fucker couldn't hear him…

"First chance I get yo – you're dead!"

"_**I get first digs!"**_

Ross stepped back out of the large press; he looked at the crowd of Turks then made for the door once more;

"Thanks…"

"Hold your fucking horses yo! Where the hell d'you think you're goin?"

Ross turned to see Reno had regained his footing once more, a malicious look on his face as Rude took up where he left off;

"The Turks stand by ShinRa, and ShinRa only; come Wednesday that will be Declan."

* * *

"_**Mainframes and all other computers have crashed!"**_

Sephiroth shot his gaze to the grinning female as he heard the technicians' shout from the adjacent computer hall;

"You! You have done this!"

Rika shook her head as she drew her Sol Blade;

"Nu-uh! Not me, but teenagers do tend to hold grudges, especially when you corner them and beat the living daylights outta them! A revolution is starting Sephiroth…and you're not part of it!"

The hall echoed as her Sol Blade, once again, met his Masamune………


	4. Turks

Tseng Tothva took his phone from within the confines of his suit pocket as the message alert tone went off; he opened it and recognised the sender as Reno;

"_**Gt 2 de Turk's L. nw yo!"

* * *

**_

"What the hell happened to you Ross?!"

Cissnei turned the youth's face sideways with her hand as several small cuts and a couple of bruises caught her eye………Ross smirked slightly as he answered, Cissnei had always been like a surrogate mother to them all…Reno included!

"Got cornered in an alley last night by your boss and his brothers…"

"And how're ya still alive then yo?"

"Rika saved my butt-"

Reno jumped to his feet, delight evident on his face; one word springing to his mind;

"JIGGLES!"

Ross looked to the hyperactive Turk, confusion in his eyes;

"Why did you call her that?"

Reno only grinned all the wider; then proceeded to pick up two cushions, which had lay on the sofa, and stuffed them into his white shirt at the chest area, then turned back to the youth;

"Take a wild guess yo!"

Ross, unintentionally, found himself laughing his butt off; it had been years since he'd done so………but his laughter was short lived as Tokio Hotel's _**Scream**_ blared into life again; the youth looked to the screen of his phone and recognised the sending number as Declan's;

"_**Wer de fuck r u? Iz it safe 4 us to meet u at? Gettin 2 hvy down ere!"**_

Ross quickly typed out a message and sent it to Declan's mobile;

"_**In Turk Lounge, clear 2 cum 2."**_

Just as he hit the send button; the door of the Lounge opened once more, and out of reflex; Reno pushed the youth sharply so as he lost his balance and tumbled over the back of the sofa, on which he'd been perched, and onto the floor behind it, out of view………

"_**Reno; you fucker!"**_

Tseng looked around sharply in an attempt to locate the owner of the stray voice; his hazel eyes came to rest on Reno, who was bent over the back of the sofa, grinning widely at something behind it…Cissnei shook her head and turned to face the sofa;

"You can come up; it's Tseng…"

* * *

"How long did you think you'd get away with destroying peoples lives Sephiroth?! You may have defeated the first generation that stood against you, but now you have the second to contend with! And they are severely pissed off!"

Sephiroth made an anger driven swipe for his adversary as she continued to rile him, each of her blows emphasized with a statement of his imminent downfall………

* * *

"Stay quiet and follow me…"

Jared stared in amazement as his mother as she proceeded to make her way through the corridors; she'd lost her son once, it certainly wasn't going to happen a second time!

"Elena…my Mom and Dad…are they okay?"

The blonde haired woman turned her head around as she heard Aiveen's query, she resembled her father a lot; pale skin, ebony hair, and deep crimson eyes………

"Mmmm…they're in the cells in the basement lab………if you want; I can probably get a message to them?"

"Tell them;…I miss them………"

* * *

"Ross!?"

"Yeah it's me…_**shit!**_"

Ross, once again, ducked behind the sofa as the door opened yet again………

"You're some spasticated asshole Highwind – c'mon let's get spikey and get the fuck outta here, we can't expect Rika to keep him busy all fucking day – _**shit**_"

Declan froze upon walking into the Lounge; all heads turned as the heir to the company entered………

"Which one of you bright sparks set off the alarms?!" 

Ross jumped up from behind the sofa as he recognized the two youths whom had entered the Lounge, he glared at them accusingly; aware that it was their fault their arrivals had been announced!

"Fucking ace mechanic over here!"

"Shut it rich-boy!"

Silence fell once more as the door behind the two arguing youths opened again………

"Get in…we'll figure something out…"

Tseng looked to the entering figures, still trying to figure out what the hell was going on, he was taken aback to see his wife accompanying two of the intruder...

"Elena!"

Elena spun upon hearing her husbands' voice, she hadn't expected him to be in the lounge also, she had hoped for it to be empty...

"Tseng!"

At this Jared turned;

"Dad!"

Tseng looked to the youth, as confused as he'd ever been;

"Jared!"

Reno just looked around, grinning widely, this was gonna be a long morning!

"And that's everyone introduced now yo!"

Tseng turned full-circle, looking at all five of the teenagers;

"What in the name of Gaia is going on!?"

Ross was the one to answer the Turk's question as he, once again, stood up from behind the sofa, having ducked down upon Elena, Jared and Aiveen's entrance…

"We're the intruders, we're the ones who fucked with the Mako-Reactors, crashed the mainframes and sent the computers off-line………"

At this the head-Turk actually smirked somewhat; the five youngsters' had never been what you'd call the perfect little angels, but this stunt just took them to a whole new level………

"Glad to hear it…and how do you propose you get out of this base unnoticed now? And what are you're intentions after this stunt? Where are you going to operate your forces from? And what weapons and transport have you at your disposal?"

Not one of the teenagers spoke, none had thought that far ahead yet, most of what they'd done already had been purely in the heat of the moment………

Tseng nodded his head to Elena and Reno; each of which took out their phones and dialled numbers whilst he continued to talk;

"We're alerting all Turks; that if you are seen, you are to be ignored, as for where you will go after this; Sephiroth is aware of your dwelling in Aerith's church; go to Kalm, the Turks have been leaking information to the WRO for several months now, and a past leader of the Turks is currently at their base; Veld (Verdot), he will assist you, as will the WRO, and renegade Turks………"

Tseng trailed off as Reno closed his phone and turned to face the teens;

"You remember Rod yo?"

Ross nodded the affirmative, aware, now, of the double crossing that was taking place; it seemed the Turks did, in fact, stand by ShinRa………

"Yeah well, he's in the garage, and so are four new ShinRa bikes, and a black one with a heap of modifications to it yo…they're about to go missing!"

At this the fiery-haired Turk winked suggestively…Ross nodded, realizing whom the black bike had belonged to previously………Elena turned as she, too, closed her phone;

"Mark is in the weapons hall, he has some items for you all…they'll be waiting in the garage aswell…we'll head there, follow in a few minutes."

* * *

Several minutes later, all five teenagers stepped back out into the corridor, but after only mere seconds of walking; all hell broke lose………

"_**There they are!"**_

Ross spun as the shout came from behind; countless grunts ran towards the youths – each one wanting the pleasure of presenting these troublesome youths to the Nightmare himself………but none of the five were willing to give in that easy! Ross turned and let the shout out as the grunts came closer;

"_**Leg it!"**_

All five of the teenagers took off in opposite directions; each knowing the vast layout of the building like the back of their hand; they'd literally been raised in those corridors before _**he'd **_come along………

* * *

"Join me…"

Rika broke off from a clash as she heard his words…like hell she was going to abandon those five kids to join the likes of him!

"Why? You just told me how we never even had anything; that I never meant anything to you...you seriously think I'm gonna come running back with arms wide open when you're about to pay for all the wrongs you've done?! Go fuck yourself Sephiroth – I _**hate**_ you!"

The Nightmare parried an angry blow from the Sol Blade as their fighting continued, he feigned anger, but still the pain in his chest continued…_she hates me_………

* * *

Hojo looked up sharply as the door to his lab slapped open at a force, he stood, rather quickly, as a blonde youth was sent skidding in along the floor………

"Aww, let's play?!"

Ross looked up from where he was on the floor towards the large build of the remnant;

"Not really a fan of your games Loz, they usually involve me getting hurt or something…try Aiveen; she seems to like hurting me lately aswell…shit!"

The youth rolled sideways as the dual hound struck the floor, right where he had lay only seconds earlier, shattering the tiles…a thought came to his head…………he scrambled to his feet and stood once again;

"Hey, Loz; you're brother's one ugly son-of-a-bitch!!!"

Ross ducked quickly from where he'd stood in front of a Mako condenser just in time as the angered Loz made a savage punch for his head, only to connect with the condenser instead………

* * *

Sephiroth faltered as a blast shook the building…it had come from below – the lab………The Nightmare made to exit the hall, but was halted as Rika stood between him and the door, barring his exit; she'd promised she'd hold him off for as long as she could, and she certainly wasn't about to break her promise that easily!

* * *

"Owww………fuck; I really should have thought about that first………"

Ross dragged himself from the rubble that now coated the lab, coughing as dust caught in his throat; the whole place was covered in dust, it was like a foggy night, if Loz was still standing, then the youth couldn't see him through the dust.

Ross crawled out of the shambles he'd made of the lab and into an adjacent room, he sat his back against a wall as he waited for his coughing fit to subside………

"Ross?!"

The youth opened his eyes and glanced around the confines the room he'd entered as he recognized the voice;

"Mom?"

* * *

"_**Ahhh!"**_

Rika allowed the cry to escape her lips as her back collided with the wall of the vast hall………

Sephiroth watched as her frame crumpled to the ground as a result of losing consciousness…he turned and made for the door; hell-bent on finding the person who'd dare to infiltrate his base………

* * *

Tifa smiled from behind the bars on her tiny cell as the youth looked up; she took in his pale skin, his Mako gleaming cerulean eyes, his spikey blonde hair…_he looks so much like you Cloud_………

"Hey; what do you think you're doing!?"

Ross jumped to his feet as two guards entered the prison-like room, martial arts kicking into over-drive…within seconds the guards lay in an unconscious heap on the floor…Ross stood, fists still raised and panting slightly………

"Get the keys squirt!"

"Don't call me that Denzel!"

Ross bent down, hastily located the keys to the cells and stood back up………he froze instantly as he felt the barrel of a gun to the back of his head and the harrowing sound of a bullet sliding into it's chamber………

But before the trigger could be pulled; Hojo fell to the ground as blow sent him into mental darkness………Ross turned to see Cissnei standing over the demented scientist, she looked sternly to the youth as she took the keys from his hands;

"Go! Go now! If Sephiroth finds you, I can't do anything…"

Ross shook his head; he'd just found his mother, he couldn't leave her like this…Cissnei notice the argument the seventeen year old was about to put up and cut him off;

"No, you go; I'll get as many as I can out and sent them after you, but if you get caught – then no one gets out…now _**go**_!"

* * *

"Rika!"

Aiveen ran towards where the woman lay; fear filling the youngster………Rika snapped her eyes open as she heard the shout; she sat bolt upright and looked around the damaged hall………he was nowhere in sight………

"C'mon, we have to go; the lads'll be waiting!"

The young-looking woman allowed nodded and followed the young princess………

* * *

"Bout time yo!"

Ross looked around as he entered the vast garage of the ShinRa base; all the others were there already…

"I…I found Mom and the rest, but then Hojo…then Cissnei; she said she'd get them out and sent them to Kalm after us………"

Tseng turned his gaze to Reno, who nodded and walked out the door, the ever-silent Rude following in his wake………the head-Turk then turned his attention back to the youngsters and Rika;

"They will assist Cissnei…go; now before Sephiroth and the remnants realise what has transpired, we will accompany AVALANCHE when we can."

Ross nodded his head; then turned to where Fenrir stood…it had been years since he'd set his eyes upon it's gleaming black paintwork………

"Forgetting something?"

The youth stopped and turned as Mark's (another Turk) voice was heard; he turned just in time to catch what the Turk had thrown his way; a bracketed holster; each of it's six slots occupied by a gleaming blade; all of which, when assembled, became The First Tsurugi………

"Thanks…"

The handful of Turks watched on as the youth buckled on the holster and mounted Fenrir………and then they were gone; all five of the troublesome youths and the ex-SOLDIER………


	5. Vengence

"Fucking open up already!"

Ross hammered on the metal sliding door that barred their way into the WRO base; but it didn't prove too long until the seventeen year old lost the head with banging on the door and turned to the most computer literate of the five;

"Declan; fancy getting creative with this one?"

The soon-to-be-eighteen year old only grinned as he took up position by the keypad and began typing in numerous sequences of numbers, until, finally, after a couple of minutes; the door slid open.

* * *

"_**Freeze!"**_

"Why's everyone telling me to do that lately!"

Jared stared the entrance of the WRO base as countless troops raised their loaded guns in their direction………Rika smirked slightly as she recognised Veld amongst the troops;

"Veld it's me; Rika…Tseng told them to come here, that you'll assist them, these are AVALANCHE's kids…"

"**_Lower your weapons!"_**

As one; all pale uniformed troops lowered their weapons as Veld's order went around………Aiveen looked to the female, slightly confused;

"They know you?"

Rika nodded her head, a small smile on her lips;

"I used to do some jobs for the WRO and ShinRa when you lot were only little, and I used to work in Seventh Heaven aswell………you were only little though; none of you probably remember………"

* * *

"Thanks Rika…"

Rika turned as she heard this, confusion evident in her amethyst eyes as she looked to Ross;

"Why, what did I do?"

"Apart from save my butt………a lot; if you hadn't shown up; nothing would have happened; I'd be six feet under somewhere, and we wouldn't have been able to do what we did today………thanks."

"Hey; don't worry about it………so, I know what happened the rest, what happened you after you all scattered?"

Rika sat down opposite the spikey-haired youth, aware of how much he had turned out like his father, not only in the looks department, but his character; he didn't like to fight, and was reluctant to be the hero…but if it came to it; then he'd give it his all………

Ross looked around the empty computer room, things were happening fast, maybe too fast………

"I ran into Loz…he sent me through a door…I tricked him into blowing up a Mako-Condenser…and then………_Mom_………"

The youth trailed off as a lump formed in his throat and he was forced to swallow hard; he couldn't believe himself………

"I left her there, I fucking left my mother there! What kind of a heartless bastard am I!?"

Rika watched on as the seventeen year old got to his feet and proceeded to curse himself with every possible foul-mouthed curse imaginable…

"I'm as fucking bad as _**he**_ is!"

"Stop! You're not!"

Rika found herself on her feet aswell, the mothering side of her personality taking over,

"Don't you _**ever**_ compare yourself to the likes of him…you didn't have a choice; if you didn't go; he would have got you; that's where he was heading before I blocked his way, and probably where he went after I passed out…"

"But I left her there…my mom; I left her………"

Ross unintentionally allowed tears to roll down his pale cheeks; he'd abandoned his mother, and he hated himself for it! As reality sunk in; the hard floor seemed to come rushing up as his knees made forceful contact with it's tiled surface, but he didn't even register the pain………

After several minutes; Rika bent down to the youth's level, talking quietly as she looked at him;

"You have ever right in this world to be angry, you above all………but right now; it's not going to help anyone; you might blame yourself for what's happened, and I can see your point of view; but it never has been and never will be your fault. You're only seventeen years old; you've been thrown in at the deep end here and told to swim or drown…no one should have to do that. But one thing that stands to your advantage; you have friends to help; four amazing friends who will stand by you until the end; that's more than what Sephiroth has; he has his three little smurfs and his psycho of a father………but at the end of the day; he stands alone – You don't."

* * *

"_**One, two – Freddie's comin for you………"**_

"_**Three, four – you better lock your door………"**_

"Declan, Robbie fuck the hell off and stop freakin me out!"

Both Declan and Robbie grinned where they stood as Aiveen put her hands over here ears; they'd spent the last fifteen minutes reciting the Freddie's Comin' For You, lines out of A Nightmare On Elm Street………and they knew it freaked the Wutain princess out big time!

**_"Remnants at front of base!"_**

The four remaining teenagers looked to each other, as the PA system crackled into life, then all nodded and made for the nearest exit; making sure to grab some weapons as they passed………

* * *

"Is little Ross all over his crying faze this time around?"

Kadaj grinned maliciously at the youth as he stood with his father's blade raised…even though it was evident to see the hatred etched into the shimmering blue irises of the seventeen year old; Kadaj went on with his tormenting…

"Your face was priceless ………and then you cried; like a baby, you're pathetic!"

Ross only grinned as the remnant continued; enough with the mind games! He'd felt sorry for himself for long enough; and had been angry with himself with way too long; but, thanks to Rika; he knew better………

"Hey; Kadaj…you talk too much!"

The silver-haired instigator just about managed to raise his double-bladed sword in time to block the teen's blow………

"Oooo, are you angry?"

"Take a wild fucking guess dipshit! I'm done with feeling sorry for myself; and now it's time that you paid the price for fucking my life up!"

* * *

"Aiveen, duck yer head girl!"

Aiveen did the complete opposite as she heard the familiar voice; she stood well up and looked around………only for a lance to narrowly miss her head!

"**_Hey!"_**

Cid stared at the youngster, slightly taken aback by how much she'd grown in the years of his and her parents absences, then his trademark smirk came into play;

"I told ya ta duck yer head!"

The seventeen-year-old broke into a wide smile as she suddenly recognised the blonde hair, the blue eyes, and the rough accent………

**_"Cid!"_**

"Whoa der girl; yer gonna knock me!"

Cid only laughed as the black-haired, crimson eyed female jumped into a hug; almost knocking him off his feet!

* * *

Yuffie ducked as a blast of Materia came her way; compliments of Yazoo; the Wutain Queen looked around erratically as she righted herself once more; her hazel irises flashing with rage………

"Ooooo!! Who's been touching my Materia!?"

* * *

Jared backed up as numerous putrid shadow creepers circled; he stopped as his back met that of another person…

"Denzel!"

The hazel-haired, blue-eyed young man grinned as he nodded his head, still keeping his eyes on the numerous hideous beasts…

"The one and only – I owe you guys a thanks…but that's gonna have to wait until later, as for now; you cover my back and I'll cover yours?"

"Too fucking right!"

* * *

"_**Ahhh!"**_

Ross allowed the cry to escape his lips as his back made forceful contact with a stone wall; leaving him sitting on his butt on the cold earth, but before the youth had a chance to regain his footing; an agonising pain shot through his right shoulder………he turned his blonde head sideways to see the two blades of his adversary's blade penetrating the flesh of his shoulder………

* * *

"Ross!"

Cid turned and caught Aiveen as she made to run towards the scene that all now watched…

"Nu-uh girl! He's a big boy; he can take care of himself now; you runnin over there's just gonna complicate things!"

* * *

"You're just like your father – pathetic! An insult to Mother! And now you'll meet your end as he did!"

"Not today!"

Out of pure hatred towards the youngest of the remnants; Ross gripped one of the blades that pained his shoulder and yanked it outwards; freeing himself of its' hindering…

"Today's your day to die you son-of-a-bitch!"

The faces of AVALANCHE, The Turks, The WRO, and a certain past member of SOLDIER, watched on as the youth advanced on the remnant; driving the silver-haired man back further and further with each on his own steps, taking a mile for every inch he was allowed, not allowing the source of his uttermost hatred even the slightest chance at redeeming himself, until; with one last masterful, yet, savage swipe of the feared and revered First Tsurugi………three remnants were cut down to two………

"Guess…I'll see…Cloud…before you………"

Ross looked to the digressing figure of the remnant; only one thought going through his young mind;

"My father didn't go to hell Kadaj – he won't be where you're going!"

* * *

Rika smirked slightly as the last of the hated remnant digressed into the Lifestream once more; she then turned her shimmering amethyst eyes to the two remaining remnants;

"This is the Revolution; if you mess with this planet; it's gonna fight back one way or another! Tell Sephiroth he's next on the list!"

* * *

"Way to go squirt!"

Ross winced slightly as Denzel slapped him on the back, but smiled all the same; that name annoyed the hell out of him; but after four years…well; it didn't seem _**too**_ bad!

The spikey-haired teen looked around; everyone was back – Cissnei had kept true to her promise after all………he smiled as he saw Yuffie hugging Aiveen so tight she threatened to choke his girlfriend, Elena was treating Jared in pretty much the same way, while Cid just reverted to a foulmouthed greeting for his youngster, and Declan was presented with an ever surprising hug from his father………but it didn't take Ross long to pick up on the absence of one person in particular………

"Where's my Mom?"


	6. A Broken Promise

_**A/N; Short, I know!!!!! But, look at it this way huns; I'll make the next one longer:-P Haha! Seriously now though; the reason this chapter is short, is because I didn't want to split the angsty stuff into two chapters, so we'll save that for the next one, eh?**_

_**Anyhu; let me know what ye think!!! Pst; Lamb, you there? Where's my EMO friend gone?!?!?!?!?!?:-P Jared Leto beats Gackt!!!….Sorry peepz; a little private joke there!**_

* * *

Ross looked around; not one person would meet his gaze, all preferring to keep their gazes fixed towards the ground, none willing to have to tell the youth………

"Someone answer me! Where's my Mom!"

Cissnei was the only person who looked up, her irises filled with guilt; but she summoned the courage to talk, seeming no one else would in her place;

"It's my fault Ross,_** he **_came…she got caught………"

"I don't believe this shit………"

Ross shook his blonde head, unwilling to accept the fact that the bastard still had his mother…Cissnei had promised him, this was a lie; a cruel joke…it had to be; it just _**had**_ to be! There was no way he could have lost her…not again! The youngster turned and attempted to leave shout at how cruel a joke it was they were playing, but was cut short as his eyes unwillingly rolled back in their sockets and the ground began rushing up to meet him………

"Shit…hey squirt; wake up………" 

Denzel caught his younger brother as fell forwards, lowering his limp frame gently to the ground…then looked up to the hoards of onlookers;

"I'm guessing now would be the best time to get inside?!"

* * *

"What happened? Is he okay? Why did he keel over? Is he asleep? Is he awake? Can I see him? When'll –"

"Slow de fuck down Aiveen – _**owww**_!"

Robbie quickly stepped away from his mother as he rubbed the back of his head; still though, he grinned; it had a long time since he'd been corrected over his language!

Jared turned his attention to the Doctor, who still stood trying to decipher the string of words Aiveen had literally thrown at him…

"Translated from Aiveen-ish; that means; what happened to Ross? Is he okay? And is he awake?"

The WRO Doctor nodded from where he stood; now understanding what had been asked in the first place;

"He's fine, apart from being battered and losing some blood, the youngsters' exhausted; he'll be out for a while, but he'll be no worse for wear………"

"Mom…you're choking me!"

Aiveen once again wrenched herself from her mother's vice-like bear-hug…she was delighted to see her mother again; words couldn't explain how relieved she was that her parents were okay, and more so; she was back with them………but the poor girl needed oxygen at _**some**_ time!

* * *

"Your youngest is proving to be quiet the persistent little bastard………he takes after his father in that aspect…"

Tifa stared at the Nightmare from behind the bars she'd so come to recognize, hatred and anger growing on top of the amount she already held towards the once-upon-a-time hero;

"The only bastard here is you…you killed my husband………"

Sephiroth laughed lightly from where he stood; after four years of superiority, everything was starting to unravel on him; his two main Mako-Reactors had been virtually ruined beyond repair, his base had been breached by a group of kids, all his computers and Mainframes were now in the process of being repaired, the lab had literally been blown to bits, all the Turks had just seemingly disappeared only hours previous, and with them the majority of his most valuable prisoners; AVALANCHE, and now the youngest of his three brothers had been killed………and all of it seemed to span back to one spiky, blonde-haired youth…that and a certain past member of SOLDIER………

"You loved him………how can do you know if you love someone or not?"

Sephiroth trailed off, leaving the confusing message hanging in the air, it was so unlike him to ask such a question, but it had to be asked, if only to satisfy his own thoughts………he smirked again as he opened her cell and dragged the ebony-haired woman out…

"Look at it this way Tifa, seems you love him; I will make it so as you are reunited once more…"

* * *

A/N; Uh-oh,,,what's he gonna do to her??????!!!!!!!!! 


	7. Not Again

**_A/N; Okay, I promised a longer chapter than last, but let's face it; anything was longer than the last chapter! So here's chapter seven, let me know what ye think, k? I wasn't particularly happy with the way it turned out, not sure why, but if ye find anything, feel free to tell me in the review or don't be afraid to send me a pm………again; thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far, you're support is what gets this wrote! And thanks to anyone who takes the time to read this aswell!_**

**_Lamb…Jared Leto Rules!!!!!:-P:-P:-P…hehe; little private joke there peoples!

* * *

_**

Whilst all others made their tearful yet heartfelt reunions with their loved ones all throughout the WRO base; two individuals remained alone in the medical wing; one a patient, still lying unresponsive in his white linened bed…the other; a twenty-six year old, with hazel hair and deep hazel irises………Denzel had performed somewhat of a disappearing act when all the parents and teenagers had gone all emotional about an hour ago; he didn't feel like watching it………it wasn't that the young man detested them; they had ever right on Gaia to happy…but he just didn't fancy watching all that joy and happiness when his younger brother lay in a bed and his mother was still in the clutches of The Nightmare………Denzel turned his gaze back to the youth in the bed, a small smirk playing on his lips;

"You grew up little man………Dad'd be proud………"

The youngster laughed lightly as he thought back over their years as kids, back when everything had had a meaning, before the planet had been turned upon it's head………though nine years fell between the two; he and Ross had always been close, more so when they got into trouble; it was simple really; you cover my back; I'll cover yours! Each providing a plausible alibi when the other was in need of one………especially when it was one needed in defence of their mothers' wrath! But that was then, a far cry from what was now………his life had been turned into a living hell after Sephiroth's rise to power, his body showed the signs of it; numerous white lines marred his back, scars of the torture he'd been forced to endure, countless bruises and broken ribs had since healed, but the memories would always remain, refusing to be forgotten, burned deep into his mind; he'd seen things that no one should ever have to bear witness to…things that would haunt his dreams until the day he died, forever lurking in the back of his mind, just waiting to catch him off guard and launch into a replay; he'd seen people, innocent people taken by the Nightmare, even young children, kids whose parents had been killed or imprisoned, all taken for his own entertainment, some were granted the easy escape; locked into a hall full of Shadow Creepers, with no defence of their own…those screams of agony would forever haunt him, the screams of terrified children, the screams of pure, blood-curdling agony as the vile creatures' claws tore through flesh…but others hadn't been so lucky as to be given death, instead they'd been handed over to Hojo and subjected to his experiments, most of which ended in a slow death, either by Mako-poisoning or through shear exhaustion mixed with whatever sordid substances the demented man had intruded their bodies with………but even those weren't the height of the epiphany's evil; that was only what the monster subjected the males to and an amount of the females that his forces apprehended; what the young man had seen the remnants do to the imprisoned females, even as young and innocent as teenagers, was stomach turning at the very least, no person deserved what they'd made them do…but above all that; the one thing that just proved to support the true evil of this monstrosity was his pure uncaring nature - his coldness; shortly after his capture, Denzel had bore witness to one of the most inhuman things that was possible; a woman, a member of the WRO had given birth to a child after her own imprisonment, the child; a little girl, had been born healthy, with only the other women in her shared cell to serve as midwives…but the Nightmare took the child, and as her mother watched on; summoned a Shadow Creeper………the mother's face would forever haunt the young man's sleep………it hadn't taken the Nightmare long to establish his hold on the planet after his fight with Cloud; It had taken only hours after Clouds' defeat for the Nightmare to seize control of the ShinRa base; slaughtering those who opposed him without a moments' hesitation; he'd defeated his top contender, anyone else had just been easy pickings after the blonde. After the whole of ShinRa had been overthrown; the former hero had turned his attention to the most likely of his future opposition; AVALANCHE and the WRO…in several swift, simultaneous raids; he'd taken them; Barret, Tifa, Cid, Shera, Vincent, Yuffie, Reeve – all of them. Even though Wutai retaliated at the imprisonment of their Queen; their forces were nothing compared to Sephiroth's………leaving the five teenagers parentless, sibling-less, and alone on the now; uncaring streets of Edge………but it looked as if, after four long years of abandonment; the five youngsters had taken it upon themselves to bite back………

* * *

"Mmmm………"

Ross opened his eyes groggily, then shut them as quick as his vision was affronted by a fluorescent light that attached itself to the white ceiling, after a few seconds the youth reopened his eyes and sat up, only then realizing the other person in the room…

"Denzel…w-what happened?"

Denzel snapped out of his staring into space as his brother's voice fell upon his ears, he smirked;

"You killed that demented fucker of a remnant, and then passed out after you found out about Mom…other than that not much."

Ross felt a pang at his heart as he suddenly remembered what Cissnei had said…why did everything in his life seem to go against the youth?

"Thanks Ross…"

The blonde teenager looked up as Denzel said this, confusion evident in his shimmering cerulean eyes;

"What for?"

"I'm here ain't I? Not in a cell…"

"You've Cissnei and Rika to thank for that, not me…all I did was run-_**hey**_! What the fuck are you playing at!?"

Ross glared accusingly at his older brother whilst rubbing his arm where he'd just been thumped………Denzel only shook his head, the slightest hint of a smirk on his lips as he spoke;

"Cop the fuck on squirt! You need to stop feeling sorry for yourself; none of it was your fault! Yeah, you ran; but only coz you had to; but you also managed to make shit out of Hojo's lab and the rest of the gang totalled his mainframes and computers, aswell as disabling two Mako-Reactors…and all in one day! You five did more damage in a few hours than others have in years, even more than AVALANCHE did against ShinRa the first time around! So quit blaming yourself already…god; I swear you're just like Dad was! Hey; I heard you and Aiveen hooked up! Haha! Yuffie'll get you to be her own personal Materia hunter, and Vincent's gonna use you for target practice!! Haha, funny stuff!"

"Shut up! I didn't need to hear that right now!"

"Tough shit…see ya; I'm gonna make sure Vincent has Cerberus loaded and ready…"

Ross jumped from his bed as the young man made for the door, and literally tackled Denzel, and as a result; both ended up sprawled out on the floor;

"You're not goin anywhere!"

Denzel only grinned from where he now sat on his butt;

"Ha! I was only guessing about Aiveen, but I guess that seems you reacted like that – it's true then! Oh holy Christ; you're in for an unmerciful slaggin spikey!"

"You asshole Denzel!!"

* * *

"Sir! You need to see this!"

All heads of AVALANCHE, the WRO and the Turks turned as a technician shouted to Reeve; it seems things were back on path again………

"Hey; Vincent-fuck sake spikey calm down; I'm only messing! Hey Yuffie-_**oww**_!"

This time it was Denzel's turn to glare accusingly at his brother whilst he rubbed his smarting arm, albeit still grinning. Reeve, on the other hand, wasn't grinning at the brothers' antics; his eyes were glued to the screen of the terminal that showed a surveillance of outside the base…and two people were in view; one of which had a long sword………

Ross soon became aware of the attention Reeve was paying the small screen and positioned himself so as he had a view that all others seemed to have quickly locked onto whilst he moved his position…the youth felt his blood freeze within his veins upon his eyes setting upon the harrowing image………without so much as one word; the teenager turned on his heels and quickly made for the front exit of the base, grabbing the fully assemble First Tsurugi as he went………

* * *

Tifa stood fast as the cold steel remained pressed firmly against the tender flesh of her exposed neck…half afraid to even swallow as it would further push the blade against her skin…she felt the pang of guilt hit her as the first of the people emerged from within the safe confines of the base; Ross………this wasn't fair, the youth had been through so much, and yet the Nightmare intended to deal the hardest blow he could at that moment in time to the youngster………

"I must admit, I have been foolish in my judgement of you teenagers, it seems I may have underestimated you, more so you; Ross…you have taken you revenge on Kadaj, eliminating him from the equation, so in return; I shall be eliminating an additional presence also………guess who it will be?"

Sephiroth allowed a small smirk to appear on his face as the rest of his former prisoners appeared alongside the youth, along with the other teenagers and Rika…that was fine by him; it just meant more to watch………

Ross tensed and prepared to attack, as did several others amongst the crowd, but the Nightmare moved quicker…in one clean movement; the Masamune came across it's target, dragging a deep, thin ravine of red across her throat…then relinquished his grip as the woman, who, within mere seconds, seemed to crumple to the barren ground…

"You bastard!"

Rika made to attack her former lover, but he didn't really feel like fighting at that moment in time, he would have preferred to stay and watch their reactions, but he had a city to get back to controlling, and forces to ready…so; with a flurry of black feather's the demented once-upon-a-time-hero was gone. Whilst all others had been frozen with shock, rooted to the ground, one person had snapped out of it and made a sprint to the female figure that now lay unmoving on the ground…

"Mom…no………"

Ross skidded to his knees as he came to a halt beside his mother, he rolled her frame over, pulling her towards him, willing her to answer his voice, praying to God, any God that what he had witnessed had been an illusion, there was no way a God of any kind could be so cruel as to do the such a thing twice to one person…it just couldn't be happening a second time!

"Mom…_**please**_! Answer me! Give out to me – something! Please…please…I'm sorry, I'm sorry for everything, just please answer me, I'm begging you! _**Mom!**_"

But even as he spoke, the youth became aware of a weird sensation; he looked down to see that the knees of his jeans were totally soaked through…but not with water, it was a liquid, but it was red…it was blood and it wasn't his………Ross blinked back tears as reality began to sink in, but no matter how hard he blinked the tears away or swallowed the painful lump in his throat, the tears raced down his pale cheeks, falling from his chin onto the non-responsive figure that he hugged close to his chest………the lump seemed to grow despite his attempts to swallow it as he noticed the glazed, empty appearance of her hazel-red irises, the pale tinge to her skin, the lack of movement in her chest cavity………

Numerous friends and allies averted their gazes as the youths' anguished cy echoed through out the silent air of the night, stabbing at their hearts and alerting all who heard it; that life had once again brought this youth to his knees, not only had he watched his fathers' death, but now, too, had witnessed the untimely demise of his mother, he felt his heart give way………


	8. A Choice

_**A/N; Sorry! Another short-ish chapter!!! I don't know why I finished it at this particular bit, it just seemed right…highlight being; the next chapter should be uploaded pretty soon as I already have a lot of it typed out…so let me know what ye think of this one anyhow!**_

_**If ye've been following this, ye'll have become aware, more so in the last few chapters, of an ongoing joke in the A/N's between me and Retro Lamb…so this one isn't going to break that! LAMB; Bhí Jared go hálainn! Agus, bhí Gackt go ana-brón!!!!:-P:-P:-P:-P**_

* * *

"Where do you think you're going?!"

Aiveen stepped in front of the front entrance of the WRO base, barring the exit to the blonde youth, a determined look upon her face………Ross attempted to push his way past her, she may have been his girlfriend, but right then; nothing mattered………the world could fall for all he cared; all he wanted was one chance…one chance to hurt that Nightmare………

"Take a wild guess………"

But to his shock; the teenage Wutain remained in his path; refusing to move even an inch…

"No…I know what you're thinking, you're crazy Ross, are you brain-dead or something? You won't stand a chance alone; him, the two remnants and all of the ShinRa troops………you'll be killed………"

Aiveen trailed off as her voice cracked, choked by unshed tears; this was cruel; she could see his side of things; his mother had just been killed in front of him…all he wanted was the revenge he so truly deserved……….but she stood firm to her own view of her boyfriends' intentions; she cared for him; she didn't want to lose him, and she knew in her very heart and soul that if he walked through that door alone; she'd never see him again………

"I have to do this alone…"

"No you don't! We've stuck with you through thick and thin for four years now, we've known you all your life; we're your friends Ross! Please; we can help, just don't do this alone…you'll be killed………"

Ross began to feel his patience wearing thin; how come none within the base saw his side of things; his mother had been killed a few hours previous and, thanks to some WRO troops and Turks; was buried on the WRO grounds………why did they not see this as _**his**_ own battle?

"I don't care-"

The blonde teenager was cut short as a hand made forceful contact with his left cheek………Aiveen stared at her childhood friend, uncried tears shimmering in her crimson irises………

* * *

Reno bite his tongue as Aiveen slapped the blonde youngster across the face, he turned to all others that stood within the confines of the hall;

"This is where we all go…it's starting to get personnel yo!"

Not one person objected to the fiery-haired Turks' suggestion; all aware of the personnel note that had fallen between the two seventeen year olds…

* * *

Ross didn't say anything, just turned his back; willing to find a longer way out of the building, seems Aiveen refused to move………

"Don't you fucking _**dare**_ walk away from me Strife!"

The blonde continued to walk, pretending not to her his girlfriends' shout; allowing it to fall on deaf ears...but there was ignoring her next shout;

"If you walk out that door tonight Ross; I won't be here if you come back…I'm through with this shit………"

"What d'you mean?"

"Ross; I love you; but what you're doing is suicide!"

"I don't care anymore; maybe it'll be for the best; what have I left here? All I know is I have to do this………please understand this Aiveen…"

The Wutain princess shook her head from where she stood, the whole of her body trembling; she'd just seen someone killed, and that someone had been like a second mother to her – to them all! She was hurting inside, all she felt like doing at that moment in time was going to her sleeping quarters and crying, crying until it didn't hurt anymore…but she couldn't…

"No; I won't! You think you being killed might be for the best? Eh? And what about me? What about Denzel – he's lost his mother now aswell! And Marlene's lost the equivalent of! D'you think this is what Tifa and Cloud wanted for you?! To go and get killed on their accounts?! D'you not think that any of us are hurting right now? Well we are, maybe not as much as you are, but it still hurts! And you doing this; is breaking my heart Ross! I'm telling you here and now Strife; if you walk out that door tonight, we're through!"

Ross made the retort without even considering it, it just seemed to have sprang from his lips without his authorization…

"So you'd leave me aswell?"

Though it caught her off guard; Aiveen didn't even skip a beat with a retort of her own;

"And you me?"

It was over ten minutes of stony silence later when a voice once again broke the thick, heavy and oppressive air of the hall…

"So what's you choice – him or me?"

* * *

A/N; Ah; young love...who'd have it? What ye all think? Good, Bad...and suggestions or things to point out to me??????Feel free to pm me if ya don't like the review button...Thanks for taking the time to read this either way!!!!!!!!!!!!


	9. A Decision

_**A/N;**__** Thanks to everyone for the support on this fanfic, it really means a lot to me peoples! Awww, there's only a few chapters left in this…can't believe I got this far with it………a million thanks to Retro Lamb, the person who told me to go ahead with this fic, and sort of set me straight when I veered off the plot in an email I sent her! Thanks hun; ya know I luffles ya!

* * *

**_

The revenge he so rightfully deserved…or the girlfriend he loved? Which one meant more to the teenager? At that moment in time; Ross Strife honestly didn't know………within the space of a few days; his already twisted life had been totally turned on its head…and he seriously didn't know right from wrong anymore………for a split second the youth actually wondered if this was how Sephiroth had felt on that faithful night at Nibelheim………

_Dilly-dally, shilly-shally……… _

Ross turned full circle as the familiar voice echoed…it wasn't Aiveen's…she'd walked towards one of the doors at the other end of the hall at this stage,

_Dilly-dally, shilly-shally………_

_Don't turn your back on your friends………_

Again the youth turned full circle; taking in every aspect of the hall, looking for any concealed persons who may have been the source of the two voices, but in his heart he knew who they were………

"Mom…Dad………"

No response came; only an overwhelming sense of something heavy being lifted from his heart………guilt? He knew what he had to do………

"I can't do this alone Aiveen………"

The crimson eyed seventeen year old allowed a tear to roll down her pale cheek as she spoke, still refusing to turn around;

"You don't have to………"

"Then I choose you…"

Aiveen turned as a hand closed around her wrist, pulling her around to face the owner of it, she felt herself smile, despite what had just happened, as hands closed around her hips and she felt his lips upon hers………

* * *

"Reeve; you know the layout of the Mako-Reactors?"

All heads turned as the door of the WRO control room opened and in walked two youths…difference being; both bore slight smiles this time round, not tears of hurt and loss………the head of the WRO nodded his head in the affirmative, Ross grinned slightly;

"Get blue-prints up, go over them with Robbie, make sure the two we damaged are definitely out for the count, then set sights on the two he started repairing in Midgar………Rika can I ask a favour?"

The woman nodded her head, slightly unsure, but willing to help all the same; the teenager seemed to be setting things in motion once more…

"Go ahead………"

"Can you get Elmyra outta Edge…if she gets hurt, it'll be because she tried to help us, I'm not willing to have someone else's blood on my hands………"

Rika nodded, then turned for the nearest exit, making sure to have her Sol Blade firmly placed within its holster…just in case………

* * *

"Veld; how many Turks have you?"

The aged Turk looked up, slightly taken aback by the youth's forwardness, but answering all the same, aware that the Revolution was taking part then and there………

"About two hundred under my command, but with Rufus'…about five hundred altogether………"

"Where's the Shera, and is it working? And can we get the civilians outta Edge?"

"Yeah; where's my goddamn ship y'all!?"

A small laughter went around the solemn group as Cid stood up suddenly, looking every which way, only then realising the lack of his airship………Veld grinned slightly as the blonde pilot began a foul-mouthed rant, only to be stopped half-way by a slap to the back of his head, compliments of his wife…only after the blonde had received the blow did the former commanding Turk decide to intervene…

"The Shera's out back, as far as I know it is in working order, it hasn't been operated since………"

"Robbie, give us a hand den, lets' make sure dis thing is workin before we plan anything!"

Reeve nodded his hazel haired head as the two blondes exited the room in search of the elusive airship………

"I'll get WRO troops on the evacuation straight away; the majority will probably be relocated to Kalm, Costa Del Sol and Junon…it's the best we can do on short notice………"

Everyone else remained silent as the commissioner of the WRO exited the room also, evidently going to sent a regiment of his troops to Edge, it was strange; half of them only then noticed that they were taking a stand against the Nightmare…and that a certain spiky-haired blonde teenager was at the centre of it all………

* * *

"Yazoo! Loz! Order all troops back to Edge immediately and prepare for a head on attack, up the security on the two Mako-Reactors in Midgar, and let all troops know; Strife is for me, anyone else who harms him will have me to deal with; he is mine and mine alone, is that clear?!"

Both remaining remnants nodded their silver haired heads sharply, then departed, aware that their reign of power was now, finally, being threatened…and that if they did fall this time around; they wouldn't be granted another try………

* * *

Elmyra Gainsborough allowed her white net curtain to fall back into place as a knock came to her front door, she hesitated slightly as she walked towards it; she had seen the numerous troops positioning themselves throughout the city as of late; the snipers taking up vantage points atop buildings, those horrid Shadow Creepers being given free range of the oppressive city………it seemed so long ago now; but the aged lady could still remember the first time she'd set eyes on Cloud Strife…she had literally begged him to leave her house, for Aerith's sake though; she hadn't want to see her daughter have her heart broken yet again, she remembered being told of her daughter's death at the hands of the merciless monster who had once been hailed as a hero, she could remember, with a sad heart; Meteor Fall, and all the destruction it had caused; the near ruin of all of Gaia itself, the two years of bliss that had followed it, then the Geostigma epidemic, and _**his **_return………his defeat, and barely a year after that episode the rise of the Tsviets…and then the return of the remnants and the Nightmare………was it just her, or did this planet seemed doomed to always fight for it's right to survive? Or was it just all the bad luck of the universe seemed to concentrate its entire wrath onto one family in specific?

"Elmyra; you need to come with me…"

The aged woman stared in disbelief at the female who quickly pushed herself past the door, so as not to be spotted by any of the troops that now adorned the streets…

"R…Rika? What's going on?"

Rika shook her head and chanced another look out the nearest window, fully aware of the battle all were now in preparation for………

"I haven't got time to explain right now; just trust me…please?"

* * *

Reeve looked up as numerous people walked into the computer hall of the WRO base;

"The civilians are being evacuated as we speak; those nearest the ShinRa HQ are being dealt with first…it shouldn't take much longer, presuming all goes to plan; there are reports of an increase of ShinRa troops on the city streets and raised numbers in Midgar; it seems he is expecting a head on attack on Edge though; his forces seem to be congregating there as opposed to Midgar…any ideas?"

Ross nodded, he'd spent the whole hour since Rika's departure contemplating all possible scenarios in an attempt to outwit the Nightmare………now wasn't the time for kid's games; this was full on war, and it seemed all the members of AVALANCHE had agreed to take, somewhat, back seats on this battle front; allowing the youths reign on the situation; now fully aware of the fact their kids weren't kids anymore………

"Split the attack…strike Midgar first; he'll think we've gone for the Mako-Reactors first…hit Edge second, when he's still trying to figure out what happened in Midgar; it'll only be a minor advantage to us; but right now; we take what we can get………troops to Midgar; AVALANCHE and Turks to Edge…that alright with everyone?"

All heads nodded in approval, unable to come up with a better plan themselves…Ross nodded then turned for the door once again;

"Aiveen, Declan, Jared and Denzel follow me………"

* * *

Rufus smiled to himself as the four youths and the young man exited, he grinned all the wider as he spoke his thoughts out loud;

"I've seen SOLDIERs 3rd Class, SOLDIERs 2nd Class, SOLDIERs 1st Class, elite SOLDIERs and even a SOLDIER general in battle…none of which would hold a candle to these lot!"

* * *

_**A/N;**_ **Scream – Chapter 10; The Battle Begins!** _Enough said! Again; thanks for all the support people; it means a lot! And it really tends to cheer me up when I get home from school and see some numbers in the brackets of my inbox! C ya later huns!_

_XXXXX_

_Renolvr:-P_


	10. Painful Memories

_**A/N; **__**Thanks to everyone who's stuck by me so far; it really means a lot! A major shout out to Retro Lamb everyone! Rika's her deadly character and this fic wouldn't be half of what it is without her! I would also like to take this opportunity to promote something peoples; the story's name is **__Rise__**, and it's a crossover between Final Fantasy VII and Trinity Blood...Lamb's been sending me the chapters she has wrote so far,,,and they are so deadly! She hasn't uploaded it onto yet, but when she does; you guys should seriously consider giving it a look...it's so amazing!!! Hehe; and my character's in it too; **__Alex Yamamoto__**...go Lamb; you rule hun!**_

_**PS; I know I previously stated that the battle was to begin in chapter 10, and I apologize; it's been pushed a chapter back as a revelation has occurred; see end of this chapter…………….

* * *

**_

"Where's Ross?"

Several heads turned as Rika re-entered the WRO control room, along with an additional person...Elmyra looked in shock to the faces of her past friends...the faces of AVALNACHE, then turned back to face the ex-SOLDIER whom had brought her there;

"Rika; how did AVALANCHE-"

Rika smiled as she realised the aged female, along with anyone who had been praying for the fall of the Nightmare were still unaware that he had lost his most valuable assets...

"Ross and the other kids...they broke into ShinRa and fucked up all the computers and mainframes...were there any announcements about the Mako-Reactors?"

Elmyra shook her hazel haired head as she thought back over the last few days;

"No, but there have been reports issued on all the news channels for you and the teenagers...you are all wanted for questioning..."

At this, the young-looking woman actually laughed; _questioning_...what a load of bullshit!

"Haha! Robbie made shit of the two Mako-Reactors outside of Edge in less than an hour..."

Elmyra smiled upon hearing this; it looked as if the youths had changed their perspective on where they stood in this battle...more so; Ross had...then a thought crossed her mind, she looked around the room quickly at all the familiar faces - but still she couldn't locate her;

"Rika; where's Tifa?"

* * *

"When does it start?"

Ross took a breath to answer Jared's question, but was cut short as his older brother butted in;

"Tomorrow after dusk - let me finish squirt!"

Denzel once again cut his brother off before he even had a chance to voice his objections; this wasn't a game, things needed to be thought out thoroughly if they were to pull this off; to end this Nightmare once and for all, for once in his life; Denzel Strife was using his brains! (Wonders will never cease!)

"I know, I know! You want to go straight in now, and finish it tonight...but hear me out on this one bro; he's probably back at the HQ right now ordering all his troops back to that one city, expecting and preparing for an attack tonight...now look at us; we have a fucking ace mechanic who set off alarms, a Wutain princess who's as hell bent on Materia as her mother, Turks, WRO, AVALANCHE, an ex-SOLDIER and as the main instigator; a spikey haired teenager who is as emotionally unstable as Loz is!"

"I am _**not**_ emotionally unstable!"

"Yes you are squirt...but other than that; there _**is**_ logic in launching the assault tomorrow when it's dark; one; he won't expect us to wait that long, he'll get caught off guard by a belated attack, two; it'll give the WRO troops enough time to definitely evacuate all of the civilians, three; the dark'll give us some cover, four; the Shera'll be up and ready for use, five; you need to fucking sleep before you fall down little man, and six; you're still injured!"

"I'm not tired and I'm not hurt - _**ahhh**_!"

Ross snapped his left shoulder away from his older brother as Denzel poked him; causing the bullet wound to flare into life...Denzel only grinned and poked the seventeen year old hard into his right shoulder as he spun away;

"Fuck off Denzel!"

Ross stepped well out of his brother's reach as pain flared into life from his stab wound this time...okay; so he might have been exaggerating a bit when he said he wasn't hurt!

"C'mon, seriously now bro; when's the last time you actually slept? Bear in mind passing out doesn't count!"

* * *

"How is Ross?"

Elmyra enquired this through teary eyes; history had made an uncaring repetition on the youth...she had just been filled in on what had transpired of late, more so; what had happened to the blonde teenager's mother...Rika sighed slightly as she answered;

"Put it this way Elmyra; he's the one spear-heading this attempt at over-throwing Sephiroth...a far cry from the youngster that point blank told you he refused to fight a few days ago, eh? Still though; he was pretty shook up, wouldn't blame him either...he went to go after Sephiroth himself, Aiveen stopped him though..."

The rest of her words were lost as several more people appeared back within the control room; Ross and the rest...

* * *

"Remember when we used to do this everyday?"

Ross grinned and nodded from where he sat on a sofa in one of the staff lounges, he had one arm wrapped around his girlfriend as she rested her head against his rising and falling chest...he did remember; the five of them had literally grown up in the WRO base and the ShinRa Headquarters; passing their time flicking through numerous music channels and just hanging out...and now look; four years on they were back there; doing the exact same thing despite all that had transpired in the space of those years...

"You better babe?"

Aiveen grinned as she nodded her head; she'd been sick lately, throwing up most mornings as it was………

"I'm grand; awww…you sound all responsible and protective Strife!!!"

One night remained until the battle started; but for that one night; all troubles were being put aside; the fighting...the hatred...the hurt...the pain - all of it was being put on hold for one night; this night was special; most families had been reunited, whilst another had been further ripped apart; this night was for their sakes and their sakes alone; a night to celebrate their friends' and parents' returns...and mourn for the loss of others; but most of all, above all else this was a night of peace.

* * *

Elena smiled despite herself; a session had begun a couple of hours ago, if it was going to be a night free of fighting; who said it had to be free of alcohol? A couple of hours was all it had been going on for and, already; her eighteen year old son was well and truly transmoggified!

"Jared; you're drunk..."

The hazel haired youth looked at his mother through unfocused eyes, he grinned widely as he spoke, knowing his words were slightly slurred...

"No; I'm not..."

"Yes you are-"

The youth shook his head adamantly;

"Nope...I'm legless Mom!"

* * *

"Hey; how come Jiggles isn't drinking?!"

Rika shook her head, grinning, as Reno looked at her innocently, he'd already drank more than any other person present within the base, yet he still proved to as sober as the day he was born...how; nobody would ever know!

"Not bothered Reno..."

"But you- _**oww**_! What the fuck was that for yo!?"

The fiery-haired Turk recoiled rapidly as Rika's hand made forceful contact with the back of his head, he then turned back to face the ex-SOLDIER once he was sure he was out of her striking range...Rika only laughed lightly as she got to her feet;

"If I've told you once red; I've told you a hundred-million times...don't call me Jiggles!"

* * *

"Aiveen; I'm sorry babe..."

Aiveen sat up rapidly as she heard this; confusion evident in the eternal depths of her crimson hued irises as she looked into his shimmering cerulean ones;

"For what?"

Ross shrugged as he sat up, he'd been thinking over everything that had happened lately; some of it still hurt to think about, but these things needed to be thought about; either that or they'd just lay there, festering and growing as time went by...

"For earlier...I acted like a...a..."

"A prick?"

He smirked slightly as Aiveen suggested this term in a, somewhat, over cheerful manner...

"Yeah; I acted like a prick...and I shouldn't have, but everything just got to me..."

The youth trailed off as his voice unwillingly cracked; everything _**had**_ gotten to him, and anything that hadn't from the past was doing so now...

Aiveen stood and walked behind the sofa as she noticed the tears in her boyfriend's eyes...

"C'mon hun; I'm here..."

The young Wutain whispered this quietly as she slowly wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head gently atop his...comforting him for as long as he needed it; she'd always be there for him...no matter what...

* * *

"Yuffie; what do you think you are doing?"

The ninja spun on her husband as he asked this; signalling for him to be quiet, then beckoned him over to peep in the door she had been...Vincent smirked enigmatically as his blood coloured eyes came to rest upon his daughter and her boyfriend, the man slowly withdrew his head from the door, then pulled his wife back slightly as he quietly shut the door; giving the teenagers' the privacy they deserved...

"She's not a little kid anymore..."

He nodded in agreement to his wife's comment; that was something he knew only too well right then; the little girl he'd last seen was gone; she wasn't the same Aiveen as she had been back then; she was a young woman now...it hurt him to think of all that had been lost between them as a family in those four years...he'd missed out on his right to watch his little girl bloom into a beautiful young woman...that was the one thing he'd never forgive Sephiroth for taking away from him...

* * *

"One-two-three; Go!"

Shera simply shook her head as Reno let this shout out; signalling the start of a drinking competition between father and son...and trust it to be her husband and son! Still though; it was amazing to see how much each could actually consume before keeling over...it seemed Robbie had inherited his father's knack at several things, most of which weren't to her liking; the cursing...the unusual capacity for alcohol...but all this still brought a smile to her face; she had two of Gaia's most sexist, foul-mouthed, and abrupt males - and she wouldn't have traded either of them for the whole entire planet!

* * *

"Just in case we are preoccupied tomorrow; Happy Birthday."

Declan looked to his father in shock; he, himself; had even forgotten what day it was; it was Tuesday...tomorrow was his birthday - his eighteenth!

"Thanks Dad...guess I won't be counting on a cake then?"

Rufus smirked at his son's smart comment; of the entire thing going on; he wanted a cake! The company owner shook his blonde head;

"Wouldn't hold your breath if I were you...but you never know; miracles do happen."

"Think we'll need more than divine intervention at this stage Dad! How come the troops are standing by him? You're the company owner; they swore allegiance to you! Not him!"

"I know; but I learned a long time ago; everyone is two faced...trust me; I played that game...they'll ally with whoever they fear most and whoever they think is most likely to win..."

"That's some ray of hope that is!"

"Forget about though; tonight's not for battle strategies; I want you to know one thing though Declan..."

The dark brown haired youth looked at his father; an eyebrow raised questioningly...Rufus smirked as he answered his son's unasked question;

"I'm proud of you..."

* * *

"Mmm..."

Aiveen opened her eyes slowly, it must have still been early as the light outside was still greyish; marking the arrival of dawn; she sat up looking around the room; it was cold and quiet...she must have fallen asleep in the staff lounge. She looked up as someone else's breathing pattern was heard and blushed slightly upon realising she'd fallen asleep on the sofa with Ross...he was still conked. The Wutain princess smirked as she stood up; throwing the woollen blanket that had been placed over her frame over her still sleeping boyfriend, he'd sure as hell be stiff when he woke! He'd ended up asleep sitting up...

* * *

"Serves you right!"

Jared ignored his mother's statement as he continued to hug the cold bowl of the toilet, he'd just spent the last half an hour lashing his guts up, and now he was stuck with the horrible sensation of dry retching...not to mention his stomach doing flips and the splitting migraine!

"I told you; you were drunk-"

"I fucking know already! Leave me alone! I'm dying in here!"

"And it's all your own fault!"

"Not meaning to sound insensitive here Mom but...fuck off and leave me die in peace!"

* * *

"Ross...Ross..."

Ross opened his eyes to the sound of someone saying his name; he looked around an quickly realised he was still in the WRO staff lounge; another quick gaze around and his shimmering eyes came to rest on his smiling girlfriend;

"Here stone-head...Minerva! I was wondering if you were ever going to come to!"

Aiveen smirked as she handed her boyfriend a hot cup of tea, of which he gratefully took...

"What time's it?

"Just goin on for half seven...I think the others are awake; I haven't checked yet...you coming?"

Ross looked up quickly as Aiveen made to walk towards the door;

"Why, where're you goin?"

"To check on everyone else...and say happy birthday to Declan!"

* * *

"Y'all seriously hung-over?!"

Cid stared in amazement at the string of people sitting on the floor of one of the training halls; a malicious grin on his face as he eyed up the sufferers and appropriated taunting for each; so far, those that had fallen victim to the after effects of excessive drinking included; Reno, Robbie, Rod, Jared, Declan, Barret and Denzel...oh; this was going to be a fun morning by any standards!

"What happened them lot?"

Ross looked from Rika to the group of seven whom looked as if they were well and truly on their ways to the Promised Land...the woman only laughed as she answered;

"They're all hung-over! And severely so!"

"Marlene...any help here?"

The spikey-haired youth looked to his older sister figure with an air of slight pleading; Marlene had a medical degree and had worked as ShinRa's head doctor before all this shit had happened………

"Nope! All self-inflicted, I have no sympathy for you lot!"

* * *

"Rod's back!"

Ross, amongst others, turned his head as Cissnei's shout was heard; Rod had been sent to Edge several hours ago, after the worst of his stinking hang-over had worn off, and Rika has left for Midgar, all in an attempt to gain as much information as possible before the assault was launched…

Rod looked to the questioning faces and took the initiative to start talking before he ended up getting bombarded with queries;

"All the civilians are out of the city; but the place is crawling with troops and snipers; every high-rise building has at least two or three positioned on top it, there's a good few of those Shadow Creepers running around the place aswell-"

"Same with Midgar; it looks more as if he's split his forces rather than focus his defence on Midgar…still though; launching the assault on Midgar first could still work as a distraction…"

Ross nodded at Rika's report as she appeared back within the control room; it was almost evening and there was still a lot left to get done before the assault could be initiated…the youth turned and took charge of the situation; aware that time was not something they had in abundance at that moment in time;

"Cid and Robbie; double check all the airships and Shadow Foxes, Reeve; make sure all the regiments are armed and ready to go; Rufus, Declan, Tseng and Veld; the same with the Turks…Denzel get out of the fucking bathroom and stop throwing up already! And Yuffie; stay away from the Materia!"

* * *

"Hey Spikey; catch!"

Ross turned just in time to catch a radio (walkie-talkie) that Aiveen had thrown in his direction…the young Wutain smiled as she passed, heading towards the Shera along with AVALANCHE;

"C'mon or Mom'll definitely get the Materia………either her or me!"

* * *

"Where's Jiggles yo?"

Reno turned full circle as he attempted to locate the female ex-SOLDIER he so delighted in annoying………but no matter how many times his oceanic eyes swept the glass enclosed front section of the Shera; they didn't once land upon the well endowed female………

* * *

"You okay Rika? You've been fair quiet since we boarded…"

The young-looking woman looked up from where she had idly been tugging a lock of her long wavy chocolate hued hair; she'd been thinking silently to herself for the better part of an hour at this stage; and she had finally come to a decision…ish………

"I'm fine hun, just been thinking a lot, that's all…"

Ross nodded and walked over to one of the tables, where he silently hoisted himself upon, all the time keeping his shimmering cerulean gaze fixed on the female that had saved his life that night – if it hadn't been for her; then he'd have been killed there and then, and he'd have none of his friends and family around him right now………he knew what she had most probably been contemplating about, and he couldn't really blame her either………

"It's _**him**_, isn't it?"

Rika nodded her head, albeit slowly, and with slight hesitance, still a little confused herself…

"Mmm hmm………Can I ask you a favour Ross?"

The blonde teenager simply nodded his head from his perch upon the table………Rika took a deep breath and looked at the youth; her amethyst irises meeting his cerulean ones;

"I have no right to ask this of you and I know that; but I have to ask; you're intent on killing Sephiroth, that I'm sure of beyond all doubt…and I'm not about to stand in your way but………can I talk to him first?"

The next thing Ross was aware of; he was off the table and back on his feet, staring at the still seated woman, a mixture of pure out-and-out confusion and anger swimming about in his eyes…

"Why? What're you gonna say? What the hell can you have to say to him; you told us everything he put you through – what happened at Nibelheim…I thought you were on our side, not his! Why now? Why not before he killed my Mom; back when you were alone with him in the ShinRa? What the fucking hell can be so important that –"

The ranting youth was cut short as Rika spoke; still seated as she did so…a distanced look in her eyes as though she were recalling an incident of the past……..

"I am on your side! And always will be, no matter what………but there's something I meant to tell him that night at the Nibelheim Reactor, and I never got a chance to…the only reason I didn't tell him during our last encounter was because I hadn't made up my mind whether or not I wanted to remember………"

"What the hell is that meant to mean?!"

* * *

"I hate airships!"

Vincent watched on with the smallest hint of a smirk on his pale lips as Yuffie shot a hand over her mouth and clutched her stomach; some things would never change! Aiveen grinned too, but hers' was short lived as she, too, felt the sensation of her stomach performing back-flips that would have surely been worthy of the gold medal………she sunk to the ground groaning as she wrapped her arms across her stomach;

"Typical! Oooooh; I'm gonna be sick too!"

* * *

"It means what it means……… he shattered my heart and all of my dreams; and to this very day; I'm still picking up the pieces… a lot happened back then; some of which still hurt me deeply to even remember, let alone talk about………"

Ross remained silent as Rika went on; it had obviously taken her a lot of contemplating to reach the decision she had; he could at least hear her out…

"After the massacre in Nibelheim; after Sephiroth had all but left me for dead, aswell as injuring your father Zack, the three of us were given to Hojo as test subjects; I cannot imagine what Zack and Cloud were put through, but they were lucky to escape when they did………Hojo is a twisted son-of-a-bitch; no two ways about it; that's what he has been, what he is, and all he will ever amount to…and it is thanks to one of his experiments that my body is now incapable of bearing a child; he robbed me at my second chance at motherhood………"

At this; Ross's eyes, which had since wandered to staring at the floor, shot back to the ex-SOLDIER, a look of shock on his young features;

"What d'you mean _second chance at motherhood_………"

Rika looked up too; only know aware of what she had let slip…she took another deep breath, figuring it was about time someone else knew…

"That night at the Reactor in Nibelheim………I was pregnant…I lost the baby………"

* * *

_**A/N;**__** Okay; first of all; sorry it took me so long to update this fic people; I kinda got bogged down with school and other shit; did any of ye know you get a **__serious__** amount of homework in 5**__**th**__** Year?! If so; then how come no one told me?!?! Anyhu; this chapter's totally for the one and only Retro Lamb!!!! Notice how this one is longer Lamb……….hehe; what did ya think of that last line?**_


	11. A Baby?

_**A/N; I know – another shortish one! I'm sorry! But I kinda got an idea and had to deal with it before the battle started………let me know what you think of the end of this chapter!

* * *

**_

"Y…you were pregnant…he didn't know?"

Rika shook her head, ignoring the sinking feeling in her stomach that seemed to be only growing worse and worse as the seconds went by………

"No…I was going to tell him there and then…but, well; you know what happened………all I want is to tell him; just once – to see his reaction; to see if he knows what remorse is…I doubt it; but I need to know…for the sake of my sanity if nothing else………"

Ross nodded, now he understood………

"I'll leave the choice to you; I'm not gonna stand in your way…I'm sorry Rika………"

* * *

"Aiveen; you okay hun?"

"Yeah; I'll be out in a minute or two Mom!"

Aiveen immediately dropped her smile as she heard her mother's footsteps walking away from outside the bathroom door; she'd been in there for about ten minutes as it was…no wonder people were getting a bit iffy; they probably thought the teen had flushed herself down the toilet or something!

As funny as that possibility was; it was far from the seventeen year olds' true reasons for being in there for so long………the Wutain princess stared at the top of the toilet on which she'd placed the white stick, half afraid to look in case her gut feeling was to prove correct………up to when they'd left aboard the Shera; no one in the medical wing of the WRO had noticed that one of the pregnancy test boxes was now empty…it seemed the teenager had inherited her mother's knack for inconspicuous theft………

Numerous thoughts rushed through Aiveen's head as she reached down to turn the stick over; _what do I tell Ross? What do I tell Mom and Dad? How the fuck can I be pregnant; I'm just a kid………

* * *

_

"Y'all ready or what?! De other assault's bein started in ten minutes; den it's our turn!"

Ross nodded to Cid's comment as he walked back into the front section of the Shera; his eyes scanned the large area; taking in every aspect of every person who now stood alongside him…his family and friends…………

A deafening silence now enveloped the large airship; all on board fully aware of how close they were to the battle – and all that rode on this battle; either win and rid the planet of the Nightmare and his oppressive rule…or fail and leave the planet defenceless; and all on it to suffer………no pressure!

* * *

Rika placed her hand on the door handle of the bathroom door and attempted to push it downwards to open the door, but paused as her Mako-induced hearing picked up on the sound of quiet sobs coming from within………without another seconds' hesitation; Rika pushed the door open and walked in; she froze at the sight that met her amethyst hued eyes; Aiveen was sitting on the cold tiles of the floor, with her back against the wall and her knees drawn up to her chin…damp trails led down her pale cheeks………

Rika closed the door behind her and approached the teenager, she bent down to the youth's level as she spoke, her mothering instincts taking over immediately; she'd known this girl since she was a little baby; she'd watched her take her first steps along with AVALANCHE and the rest in 7th Heaven………

"Aiveen hun; what's wrong?"

Aiveen looked up, her crimson irises glimmering with the conflicting emotions of fear and confusion………

"Rika; what do I do? What do I say? How do I cope – I can't, I'm only a kid! This wasn't meant to happen; Mom and Dad'll kill me…Ross is gonna leave me………what do I do?!"

Rika shook her head, she pulled the young Wutain into her arms and rocked her gently, soothing the frightened teenager………after the worst of Aiveen's sobbing had calmed; the ex-SOLDIER decided to try this again;

"Aiveen; I want to help you, and I will if I can; but you need to tell me what's going on, and slowly………"

Aiveen nodded her ebony haired head and took several gulps; calming her nerves and clearing her head slightly; panicking wasn't going to fix anything…

"Rika; I'm four months pregnant………"

The teenager once again broke down despite her attempts not to…she was only seventeen; she had to go and help her family and friends with the battle of their lives in a matter of minutes – and now she'd just found out she was pregnant!

Rika felt a pang at her heart as the seventeen-year-old once again broke into a fresh chorus of sobs…the young looking female held the teenager tighter as she reassured her;

"C'mon hun; don't worry yourself so much; you have all your family and friends to support you; and don't worry about you Mom and Dad's reactions – I seriously doubt they're gonna blow the head off you, not after all that's happened………and I'm willing to put my soul on the line to bet Ross is gonna stand by you no matter what………you're alright…shush; everything's going to be alright in the end; I promise………"

* * *

_**A/N; Okay; next chapter is definitely the fight we've all been waiting for; no more small plots; next up is the battle to end all battles peoples!!!! Thanks to everyone who has stuck with me so far; it seriously mean a lot!**_

**_This one is for Retro Lamb - without you; I seriously don't know what would have happened...I owe you Lamb! I owe you big time..._**


	12. Remorse?

"Amusing…"

Sephiroth smirked slightly as he debated the reasons behind the evident evacuation of _**his**_ city…it seemed odd alright that AVALANCHE hadn't attacked sooner; but it didn't matter either way; he'd surely prevail in the end………

Already; he had become aware of an assault that had been launched at the two repaired Mako-Reactors in Midgar…his troops had been locked in battle with the WRO for the past ten to fifteen minutes as things stood………

The Nightmare's smirk grew darker as an unmerciful blast shook the ShinRa HQ – it had started………

* * *

"Vincent; on the meteor monument!"

The enigmatic ex-Turk only smirked slightly and took aim at several snipers as Ross dagged past – so far none of them had been spotted…time for a grand entrance! But just as his fingers began to squeeze the trigger of Cerberus – another gunshot echoed throughout the silence of the night's air, closely followed by two more, until all three of the snipers had been taken out………Aiveen smirked as her father cast his mirroring eyes on her; she certainly wasn't the innocent little girl she had been………but if only he knew how much she had actually grown up; more so in the last half an hour……..

As the last of the gunshot echo faded into the darkness; it started………no one knew where of how it had happened; but within mere seconds, each were locked tightly into battle with their own opponents…several heads of ShinRa troops shot around as a deafening blast shook the ground; their eyes came to rest on their base; the west wing of which now crumbled………

* * *

"Woo-hu! Dat was stronger dan I thought y'all!"

Robbie shook dust from his hair as he surveyed his and his father's handy work – great minds thought alike! Especially when it came to them two…bombs, computers, airships, anything that could be tampered with was _**always**_ at risk from the Highwinds!

* * *

"Go…you've got ten minutes………"

Rika nodded as Ross hissed as he passed her; she quickly holstered her Sol Blade and launched herself into the night's sky; making a beeline for the damaged ShinRa HQ – knowing he was still within; having not decided to join the fighting ranks yet………but, despite herself; Rika found her eyes wandering back every few seconds, landing on one youngster in particular; Aiveen…_if anything happens to her_………

* * *

Ross swung his fathers' trademark assembled sword down savagely; dealing with several of those vile Shadow Creepers at once…something wasn't right though; he didn't know what, but everyone else seemed to have it harder than him…the youth shook his blonde head quickly, disregarding the absurd thought as several troops took aim his way………

* * *

"What is it you desire Rika?"

Rika faltered slightly as his question rang around the training hall…she looked over to the opposite end of the vast hall and saw him with his back still turned to her…

"I want to you know something…"

Sephiroth turned on his heels, facing the only woman he had ever loved, as confusion clouded his jade irises…what possible information could she have to inform him of?

"And what would this something be?"

"I'm getting to that, but firstly I need to know something…is there any of the man that I once loved left in you? Are you truly and utterly what stands before me now – The Nightmare?"

"I am what you perceive Rika…"

Rika shook her head; laughing lightly as she did so…what kind of a straight answer was that?

"Well; the truth is, at this stage; I don't even know what I perceive of you Sephiroth…I can see the Nightmare and monstrosity that you have become – but I can't forget the man you were, trust me; I've tried, I seriously have…but I can't………that night in Nibelheim………"

Sephiroth took several steps towards the his past second in command, and his past lover...he felt strange; a feeling he couldn't describe, though he had the use of a superior vocabulary – none of the words seemed to fit or be enough………

"What about that night?"

Rika didn't flinch as the Nightmare came closer; despite all the happenings of outside; all that now mattered where the two individuals standing within the training hall of ShinRa…unbeknownst to all others fighting bravely within; old flames were being rekindled tonight…albeit not completely willingly………

"That night changed both our paths so much Sephiroth…both for the worse……….all I had been assigned to do was to check why the hell you and your regiment hadn't checked back in with base in almost a week; it was such an easy recon mission…how the hell did it go so wrong? _**Why**_ did it go so wrong? I want a proper answer, not some bullshit about the wants of _mother _and shit like that; I want the old Sephiroth's answer!"

"Why? What could an answer or reason about the past possibly change now? It is in the past; it has happened, there is no way to reverse what has happened…only influence what will………"

"I know; but a reason can justify something…I want so much not to blame you for what was lost that night! I want someone – anyone else to blame this aching in my heart on, but I don't see anyone but you…I loved you, I cared for you more than anyone I had or ever will care about; and the fact that you were willing to kill me that night; that that is what you had actually intended on doing, burns me deeply…I loved you and you threw it back in my face!"

Rika trailed off as a hand touched her cheek…but, despite herself; she didn't recoil from his foreign touch – she welcomed it…

"I never meant to throw such an invaluable item back in your face Rika…"

"Stop!"

Rika suddenly came to her senses; she thrust his hand away from her skin and backtracked several paces…she hadn't come to fall into his web; she had come to tell him something…

"You ruined my life Sephiroth…you tried to kill me, then your bastard of a father used me for his twisted little experiments…he destroyed what little dignity I had left! Look at me, I'm not the woman you knew anymore…look at me, seriously! Everything about me has changed; I know how two faced people can be now, I don't age normally…I can't even have children thanks to your goddamn father! And all this is because you couldn't cope with the truth! The truth of who you actually were; did it not occur to you that I would have loved you no matter what, I didn't give a shit who the hell your mother was…you knew that; but you ignored it………"

Sephiroth found himself, somewhat, frozen in place as Rika continued to rant………Rika looked back up to the former SOLDIER General through glistening amethyst irises, her voice cracking from the strain of her emotional strain…

"And through your ignorance…you killed our child…our baby………"


	13. The First Fatality?

_**A/N; Sorry about the delay in uploading huns...my computer got really bitchy and wouldn't allow me to log in on so now I have to upload this in school! Fecking computer! Anyhu; let me know what ye think!**_

* * *

"You do not seriously believe you are capable of being victorious in this battle…do you?

"I wouldn't be fighting otherwise!"

Ross emphasized his answer with a blow as Yazoo continued to gloat in his disturbing fashion, every now and then chuckling lightly to himself in and his even _**more **_disturbing fashion! A quick glance around and Ross took note of his friends' welfares', once satisfied that everyone was faring okay; the seventeen year old turned his full attention back to the eldest of the Remnants as gunshots rang out…in one swift movement – The First Tsurugi served as a shield from the three bullets, each one bouncing off of the revered blade with an audible _ping_………

* * *

"Declan!"

Declan turned as he registered Aiveen's voice…only to be knocked clean off his balance as a Shadow Creeper jumped for him…the now-eighteen-year-old crashed painfully to the uncaring ground as the weight of the vile creature pressed down on his chest, his loaded hand-gun skidded across the concrete as it was jarred from his grip………

"_**Ahhhh!"**_

The youth cried out as agony ripped through his right shoulder as the horrid reptilian-like creature's teeth sunk forcefully deeper into his flesh…but not matter how much he tried to shake the revolting thing off; the Shadow Creature had the leverage, pinning him to the ground………constricting his chest with it's weight, snapping several of the youth's ribs as if they were matchsticks………

* * *

"My child…my-our baby………"

Rika watched on in silence as Sephiroth said these words…despite his supposedly advanced SOLDIER General's intellect – he was finding in pretty damn hard to understand the simple statement Rika had given him!

Sephiroth shook his head adamantly, unwilling to believe that he had, in essence, killed his own unborn child………

"Liar…all that you speak is _**lies**_! It always has been! You never, in all those years, truly loved me or cared for me in such a way – you used me for your own benefits like all those who surrounded me at that time of my life!"

Rika shot her head up, so as her gaze met his hate, and slightly confused, filled one…anger burned deep within her heart…how dare he accuse her of lying?!

"Don't you dare accuse me of lying Sephiroth! Don't you fucking _**dare**_! Why would I lie about such a thing…d'you know how many nights I've spent crying since that night? The nightmares I go through………and all because of you! And as for loving you – I did, I seriously did with all my heart, I never used you – I was about the only person who didn't! But that still wasn't good enough for you, was it………I'm done here…just know this though…_my love_……….that's the main reason I accepted the mission to Nibelheim; I wanted to tell you to your face that you were going to be a father…a Dad – but maybe it was for the best; what child would want a _monster _for a father?"

Despite her attempts; Rika was unable to keep the edge from her voice…and it cut through the ex-hero like a knife…all those years, and he'd thrown away – killed, his only chance at happiness………The Nightmare hid a cringe as the agonizing ache in his heart returned all of a shot; he'd tried to kill the only person who had ever cared for him…he'd killed his own child………he _**was**_ a monster…………

Sephiroth turned silently and began to walk away from Rika………he still had a certain seventeen-year-old instigator to deal with yet, he halted as he stood in the doorway of the training hall, allowing his jade irises one final glance over his shoulder at the woman he'd unintentionally broken…

"Maybe you are right; I never meant to kill our child………but, had it been a girl of boy, has gone to the Promised Land, of that I am sure Rika…it will not be one of the fallen today………"

* * *

"Declan!"

Rufus ShinRa felt his heart skip a beat as his blue eyes took in the sight of his son's limp figure lying beneath a Shadow Creeper…in all the confusion of the battle; no one had heard the youth's cries as the creatures savage canine teeth had tore at his flesh…the company president wasted no time in taking aim and burying countless lumps of lead into the Shadow Creeper, only when the creature had keeled over on its' side did the father halt his firing – then rushed to his son's limp and unresponsive frame………

* * *

"Did you lose your Mommy now aswell as your Daddy, hmm Ross?"

No reply came to Yazoo's taunt, only anger fuelled blows of the impossibly hefty sword…the eldest remnant frowned slightly upon realizing the youth was far from tiring – that placed him in an un-manoeuvre position; he, along with all else under Sephiroth's command, not to harm the Strife boy – he was strictly off limits…but if he couldn't tire the youth down, then he was only tiring himself down………

"Don't think too hard – you might hurt your head Yazoo!"

Ross smirked; he knew he was in no position to make jibes…but he couldn't resist!

* * *

"Declan! C'mon; wake up…"

Rufus paid no heed to the battle raging as he lowered himself down onto his knees…all that he registered now was his fatally wounded son lying in a pool of crimson………

Several troops made to take cowardly aims at the unarmed company owner who had once recruited them…all of which were stopped dead in their tracks as numerous black-suited individuals surrounded the President and his son, forming a protective circumference around the pair………

Cissnei detached herself from the throng of Turks as she bent down to the youth also, taking note of his rasping breath…the chestnut haired young woman hastily ripped the lower of her crisp white shirt off and began to wrap it tightly around Declan's severely wounded shoulder, Rufus held his son's frame in a sitting position as Cissnei worked, he felt his stomach churn as he caught a glimpse of the horrific wound – a considerable amount to the teenager's flesh had been ripped clean away, so much so as even the white of his shoulder blade shone through the blood………

"There, sir; he has to get medical treatment; several of his arteries have been torn, he's lost too much blood as it is, and judging by his breathing; he has a punctured lung…if he doesn't get medical treatment asap – he's gonna be the first fatality!"

Rufus nodded his head, he was well aware of all that…the father looked up to the surrounding Turks…

"Reno, give me a hand…"

The wiry Turk nodded and helped his boss to hoist the weak teenager up from the blood soaked pavement…Reno took note of the gashes across the teenager's chest, his blood soaked shoulder, his cut and pale face………things didn't look so well for the eighteen-year-old, talk about a birthday present or what!?

* * *

**_A/N; Shit, things aren't goin to great, are they? Well things get worse...I'm stuck peoples - I don't know whether Declan's gonna live or die...help someone please!!!!!!!_**


	14. Repitition

_**A/N; For some reason - I like how this chapter turned out! I think it's the best one for this fic so far! Let me know what ye think!**_

* * *

"Jared – where's Declan?!"

Aiveen looked left and right rapidly as she shouted this, only just having noticed the lack of her friend…Jared turned as he released an empty magazine from his handgun and slid another full one back in its place;

"Rufus, Reno and a few Turks brought him back to the medical room on the Shera, they might have to take him to the WRO…he's in a bad way Aiveen…"

"What happened him?!"

"Shadow Creeper………"

Aiveen watched on as the Turks' son raced off into the midst of the fighting once more…she'd never felt more alone than she did right then, despite the countless people battling; she still felt on her own………

* * *

Ross cringed slightly as Yazoo succeeded in landing a kick to his ribs, but whatever had caused the smirk to appear upon the Remnants lips was wiped clear as he received an unmerciful blow to the jaw as a reward for his achievement…the eldest remnant staggered back a few paces unintentionally as a result of the blow………Ross smirked to himself as he noticed his foe's stance waver – without so much as a second thought; the seventeen year old dropped to the ground and swung his right leg out in a wide circle…swiping the remnant's feet out from under him……..

As soon as he felt the ground at his back; Yazoo rolled and rapidly regained his feet, his cold green eyes looked up to locate the youth, but all they showed to him was an overly-familiar sword coming down fast and heavy………

Ross looked around as his enemy quickly dissipated back to the Lifestream…_two remnants down – one to go_………but just as this thought crossed his mind, the sight of the third and hulkiest of the Remnants dissipating met his gaze…Denzel smirked upon noticing his younger brother;

"One – one bro!"

Ross quickly snapped out of his daze and shook his blonde head, his smirk reappearing as Denzel reclaimed his Katana;

"Nu-uh – Yazoo went bye-bye…two - one; ah-ha, I beat you!"

* * *

"Scream and you will die…"

Aiveen felt her breath catch in her throat as an arm encased her and cold metal was pressed firmly against her pale throat………

* * *

_**"Midgar's secured – both Reactors are now non-functional, excess troops are relocating battalions to Edge!"**_

Reeve allowed the shout to escape his lips as he lowered the radio from his ear, on which the status of their other regiment's mission had been reported…all those who heard the WRO commissioner's statement felt their moods lighten considerably – thing's seemed to be going better than first expected; the two Mako-Reactors had been removed from the equation, the two remaining Remnants had been defeated, more troops were on their way to assist them…only one adversary remained.

"Do not give yourselves false hope – this battle is far from finished………"

Ross spun on his heels upon hearing _**his**_ calm, yet malicious, voice…whatever trepidation the youth had sensed as he turned; it increased sevenfold as his shimmering cerulean gaze came to rest on his girlfriend in the Nightmare's clutches………

"Aiveen………"

The blonde youth held his stance as all the fighting seemed to halt around him; the eyes of all people fixed firmly upon the sight of Sephiroth with one arm gripped across the eighteen year old's chest and his feared Masamune pressed threateningly against her suddenly vulnerable neck………

* * *

"_**Aiveen!"**_

Vincent caught his wife around the waist and halted her from rushing towards their daughter…he wanted so much to bury three bullets' in that monstrosities head, but whereas his heart was telling him to take aim and fire, his head was telling him not to take the risk…in the split second it would take the gunslinger to raise Cerberus and fire; the ex-SOLDIER general would have already slit his daughter's throat…as he had Tifa's………Yuffie struggled against her husband's restraining grip, crying as she did so…

"Vincent – leave me go…don't just stand there…you-"

"If either of us attempt to run his way – Aiveen's dead………"

* * *

"Let her go Sephiroth!"

Ross felt his anger erupt as a tear rolled down Aiveen's face…the youth tightened his grip on The First Tsurugi and placed one of his legs out, steadying his stance as he prepared to fight………Sephiroth simply smirked darkly as he eyed the teenager that opposed him;

"Oh cruel faith; how it has a habit of repeating itself…were you aware that I was the one responsible for the death of your father's first girlfriend? How fitting that what befalls a father, shall befall the son………drop your blade and hand yourself over – if you comply; she may live, if not; then you are responsible for another of your loved ones' deaths………the choice is yours' in its entirety, Ross."

"Don't be a thick-fuck squir-ahhh!"

The rest of Denzel's comment was cut short as the butt of a rifle was rammed into his torso, the young man unintentionally crashed to his knees…only to receive the same end of the rifle in a vicious blow to the side of his head………

Ross lowered his gaze as he mentally debated what to do………they'd gotten so far, they were almost there…but no matter how much the youth told himself that – he wasn't willing to sacrifice the life of his girlfriend………

"Let her and the rest go…"

"Ross; don't-"

Aiveen's shout trailed off into a whimper as the Masamune pressed harder into her flesh; causing a tiny cut to appear and a miniscule rivulet of blood to roll from the superficial nick, reinforcing the threat upon the youngster's life………

"As you wish; but only in return for your submission…"

No speech came from the spikey-haired youth, most probably because of the fact that he was ashamed of his actions, the only sound that broke the strained, unnatural silence, was the clattering of The First Tsurugi as it hit the cold pavement to the youths' side………

"Let her go."

Sephiroth's smirk only grew all that more darker as he pushed the young Wutain roughly aside and set his cold jade eyes upon the unarmed seventeen-year-old…

"Troops; reprimand AVALANCHE and the WRO; if any resist – eliminate them."

"Lying bastard!"

Ross made to reclaim his father's blade upon hearing the double-crossing order…but was halted as a hand closed around his throat, Sephiroth yanked the teenager back to his feet, halting his attempt to reclaim Cloud's blade………Ross gasped audible as the sensation of cold steel entering his body was felt, along with the stabbing agony in his navel area…within a split second the teenager was sent hurtling backwards – only coming to a halt as his back met the Meteor Monument………

* * *

"_**Ross!**_"

Aiveen jumped to her feet as Sephiroth sent her boyfriend crashing into the monument…despite the fact she knew she was no match for the once-upon-a-time hero, the eighteen-year-old stood in front of the Nightmare – barring his way towards the Monument…

"Don't be foolish girl!"

Still the teenager refused to budge – not even an inch! Sephiroth smirked momentarily upon noticing the determination etched in the youth's eyes……..Aiveen felt her crimson eyes shoot wide as she was rammed up against a wall, pinned there by the Nightmare's hand crushing her windpipe………the pregnant teenager kicked out in an attempt to free herself of his vice-like hold, but all in vain as her feet met nothing………

"Killing one unborn child wasn't enough – you want to repeat that deed also?!"

Sephiroth froze slightly as he felt her sword being rested lightly, but yet defiantly, on his left shoulder…then realization suddenly dawned on the Nightmare as he registered her words…

"If the girl is pregnant…that means the child is Strife's………"

As Sephiroth tightened his grip, this time intentionally trying to dispose of the unborn child, something within Rika snapped – she wasn't about to let Aiveen go through the same heartache she had!

"I said let her go!"

Sephiroth unintentionally released the teenager, who quickly fell to the ground coughing and gulping oxygen down greedily, as Rika punched him hard into the left cheek;, this blow caught him off guard for some reason or another, and caused the once-revered SOLDIER to back-track several paces…

"You should not have done that Rika………"

Rika disregarded her former-lovers' comment and whispered quickly to the shaken Aiveen;

"Go and help Ross…tell him while you can………I'll hold him off…"

* * *

Ross staggered to his feet as the fighting raged on…the youth gripped his lower torso as pain flared from that region, his hand was coated in dark crimson as he retraced it………the teenager leaned against a wall for a moment or two, taking deep breaths in an attempt to ignore the pain that racked his body…not only was the evident stab wound agony; but, judging by the unnatural angle at which his right shoulder hung, it was dislocated also………

"Ross!"

Ross looked up as Aiveen ran towards him, he smiled fleetingly before sinking to the ground………Aiveen made to grab her boyfriend he slid down the wall that had been supporting him, her crimson irises filled with shear fear as she took in his condition………

"Ross; c'mon…we're nearly there – after four years we're nearly free, the planet's almost free………you can't give up, not now………please?! I need you – _**we**_ need you!"

Ross looked up in confusion as Aiveen bent down alongside his frame, the youth spoke through gritted teeth as his shoulder continued to be the epicentre of the topmost pain;

"Who's…_**we**_?"

"Ross………I'm pregnant, four months pregnant………please don't be angry…please – I didn't mean to get pregnant, it just-"

Aiveen trailed off as Ross grinned and raised one of his hands to her pale cheek;

"I'm not…angry Aiveen…I'm happy…it gives…me a reason…to get…up again………do me a…favour hun? Push my…shoulder back in…I can't…fight with it…like this………"

The eighteen-year-old Wutain princess nodded hesitantly, somewhat shocked by her boyfriends' response to her pregnancy…but, she guessed; when so much shit had already happened – this was a ray of hope in the end………the teenager placed her hand on his sickening out of sync shoulder, she faltered slightly upon feeling his muscles tense in evident response to the pain;

"Ready?"

No words came as a response, only the nodding of his head………Aiveen stole a grin, she knew it wouldn't be as bad if he didn't expect it………

"I love you Ross Strife…"

"I love you t-_**Ahhh**_!"

Ross smirked despite himself as he rubbed his aching, but no longer dislocated, shoulder…then stood back up and set his sights upon the last hurdle………

* * *

_**A/N; Sooooooooooooooo??????????????????**_


	15. The Final Hurdle

_**A/N; The long-awaited battle between Ross and Sephiroth is finally here peoples!!!! And only five chapters later than it was supposed to be!!! Ah shure; better late than never!! Please let me know what ye thought of this chapter guys - I put a lot of hard work into it - watching the infamous Cloud/Sephiroht battle from AC numerous times in an aid to describe the fighting as best I could...thanks again for sticking with me Retro Lamb!**_

* * *

Sephiroth frowned slightly as a particularly anger fuelled blow from his former-flame sent a jolt up his arms upon it clashing with his Masamune…Rika only smirked as she took this in; 

"There was a reason I made second in command!"

The only reply she earned in response to this statement was a vicious kick to the torso, sending her skeeting forcefully back along the pavement………Rika winced slightly upon getting back to her feet; blood coated her arms, their source being where her elbows had been scraped and cut as she'd skidded………Sephiroth eyed the female as she once again raised her Sol Blade in defiance to himself………

Within seconds – both contrasting blades had clashed meaningfully again; sparks flew as each one pushed for the surrendering of the other…but neither backed down………

"There may have been a reason why you made my second in command – but there is also a reason why you only made it to that rank………you did not and still do not possess the skills of a General!"

* * *

Ross winced slightly as bent down and closed his grip firmly around the handle of his father's blade…_it ends tonight_………

"Please be careful………"

The blonde instigator grinned as Aiveen stood in front of him, he kissed her lightly on the cheek, then walked past………

* * *

Rika ducked as her adversary's blade swung wide, but; whereas she'd been fighting blow-for-blow all along, this was where the two differing ranks separated…the ex-SOLDIER reclaimed her footing in expert time and blocked an additional swipe of his elongated sword, unintentionally backing up a few footsteps so as to steady her stance as another blow came down to clash against her Sol Blade…more blows hammered down as Rika was forced further and further back………Rika felt her stomach give a lurch as her left foot stumbled back over a loose stone and her balance was sent awry………the ex-second-in-command shut her eyes tightly as she sensed the feared blade coming down to where she now had landed un-gracefully on her butt…

Sephiroth frowned as his Masamune was halted once more, accompanied by the sound of clashing metal………

"Yeah; life does replay itself – and guess what; Dad beat you – I'm not gonna break that tradition Sephiroth!"

Ross stepped back as both he and the Nightmare separated…the youth raised his father's blade, gripping it with both hands…the teen placed his right leg back and his left forward, bending his knee as he prepared for the next move – of which didn't take long to come about………

Sephiroth sprung forward at an unnatural speed, the teenager followed his lead only a split second later – the two began trading hate fuelled blow after hate fuelled blow…each determined that they would not be the one to fall that night.

Ross grunted as he was thrown back several feet, but quickly regained his footing…the teenager looked around as he lost sight of his adversary…within a few seconds he'd located the ex-SOLDIER, this time coming at him from his right – Ross brought his blade up in just enough time to parry Sephiroth's blow, but was sent hurtling backwards from the force of the impact…the teenager was sent crashing through a window and into a high-rise parking block. Ross groaned slightly as he regained his stance, cursing foully under his breath that the one building that he'd of had to be standing in front of would be one with windows! The seventeen year old looked up and frowned as he spotted the once-upon-a-time-hero coming his way again…the blonde youth swung The First Tsurugi up with his left arm, a _**ping**_ was heard as both differing blades bounced off one another…Ross smirked cheekily as jumped backwards and, using the wall behind him as leverage; launched himself to the opposite wall, chancing a glance back as he did so;

"Catch me if you can!"

Sephiroth frowned in annoyance as his blade missed its intended target, then turned rapidly and attempted to make a swipe for the youth, only for the seventeen-year-old to launch himself to the opposite wall further down the way…avoiding the Nightmare's attack yet again………Sephiroth sprung after the blonde instigator, both he and Ross continued to trade blow after blow as each crossed from opposite wall to opposite wall………

"Shit…"

Ross looked sharply left and right as he once again lost track of his adversary…the teenager skidded to a halt as the ex-SOLDIER General appeared, all of a sudden, in front of him………the seventeen-year-old acted quickly; dropping to his knees and rolling out of the Nightmare's striking range…Sephiroth frowned once more as his Masamune sliced through a stone pillar instead of the intended teenager…Cloud Strife' son was proving to be more of an annoyance than his father ever was!

Ross reclaimed his footing in just about enough time to parry another blow, the teenager furrowed his blonde eyebrows and swung The First Tsurugi down with force to meet the Masamune………Sephiroth smirked upon spotting how hard the teenager was actually trying;

"And whom are we fighting for that has you so determined?"

"Tch! Like hell I'm gonna tell you!"

Ross pushed hard into the clash and succeeded in throwing the ex-SOLDIER backwards and up through the wall of the building – out of the parking block. As soon as the teenager was sure his enemy had exited the building, albeit not willingly maybe, but out nonetheless; the youth launched himself out of the parking block also…the teenager cursed out loud as he looked around again, having lost sight of his adversary for the second time that night………but it didn't take long to figure out where the Nightmare was as a flash of silver caught his cerulean eyes – Ross backtracked several feet as Sephiroth made a swipe for his already injured torso; the seventeen year old grunted as he leapt up and flipped forward in the air, bringing The First Tsurugi down in a savage blow – the only problem being the concrete the blade split wasn't his intended target…

"For fuck sake – stay in one goddamn place!"

"Do not blame me for your lack of skills Ross…"

Ross leapt forward once more and began to trade blows with his father's past adversary – his adversary…sparks flew as the elongated and elegant Masamune continually met with the hefty and impractically sized buster sword-like First Tsurugi, both wielders only sustaining minor injuries as results of their battling………

After several minutes of heated clashing, the younger of the two enemies broke away from the fighting, evading his competitors' gaze as he landed roughly atop the Meteor Monument, the teenager turned sharply as to survey the fighting below between ShinRa troops, AVALANCHE and The WRO – the additional troops still hadn't arrived from Midgar, and by the looks of things; they were needed direly! Ross made to turn sharply once more as shouts echoed to his right, but was halted as pain erupted the length of his right calf muscle, causing the teenager to unintentionally crash to one knee painfully………the seventeen-year-old gritted his teeth hard as he tried his best to ignore the fiery agony of his ripped tendons and forced himself back to his two feet – and only just in time as Sephiroth landed atop the monument also…having finally located the teenager.

Ross made a wide swipe with The First Tsurugi, but misses his enemy by mere millimetres – earning a vicious blow to his lower torso as a reward for his attempt…the teenager gasped as agony flared back into life due to his stab wound situated in that region, but despite being consumed with pain – the seventeen-year-old still managed to raise his blade to parry Sephiroth's………Sephiroth smirked lightly as he surveyed the teenager;

"You are persistent – I shall give you that, Ross."

Ross smirked too as he regained his fighting stance; The First Tsurugi gripped firmly with both his hands…

"Is that a compliment I hear – Minerva; it must've burnt your tongue to compliment a Strife!"

Sephiroth let the smirk drop from his face upon hearing the youth's smart-mouthing, he eyed the teenager for a few seconds more, searching for a chink in the youth's armour…then he spotted it; the way the seventeen-year-old was standing, the way he was placing most of his weight on his left leg………

_**"Ahhh!"**_

Ross crashed to one knee as a cheap blow caused his injured right leg to give way beneath him, the youth lashed out instinctively with his blade – catching the Nightmare off guard and slicing a deep gash the length of his left bicep………Sephiroth smirked slightly at the sight of his own blood spilt, then turned his jade irises back to the teenager that had been the bane of his existence for the past number of days………

"Blood shall have blood………"

Before Ross could draw any meaning from this enigmatic statement – agony seared down across the teenager's back, causing him to unintentionally fall forwards onto his knees, his blade escaping his grip………

"Your blood that is, Ross."

Ross fought back the urge to pass out – pain blocked his thoughts as his strength seemingly flowed from his body through the savage ravine of red that had been etched down the length of his back………Sephiroth smirked darkly as he eyed the teenager, and the state in which the youth was in;

"Beg for forgiveness…..."

Ross looked up, nothing but hatred exhuming from his shimmering cerulean irises – he'd lost, he'd failed everyone…everyone who had died had now done so in vain………he had tripped over the last hurdle…fallen over it and tripped his fellow racers as he'd fallen…causing them all to lose the race………

"Fuck…you!"

Sephiroth felt his anger reach boiling point as he heard the teenager's foul-mouthed insult – the Nightmare grabbed the fallen youth firmly around his throat and pulled him up so as his feet dangled several inches from the ground………Sephiroth averted his gaze quickly as a commotion was heard amidst the usual sounds of battling – his gaze came to rest upon the sight of hundreds more additional WRO troops engaging in the fighting – needless to say his troops were eliminated rapidly as a result of this back-up regiment………

Ross smirked despite the fact he could hardly draw a breath…he may have lost – but the other's had won…even if he was killed; Sephiroth was now alone, no way he could stand up to The Turks, The WRO, AVALANCHE and Rika………

"Your…reign's…over Sephiroth!"

Sephiroth reverted his gaze back to the core instigator; his smirk having disappeared as he'd realized the teenager's words were true………

"I should have done this four years ago………"

* * *

Rika glanced around quickly as the last of the double-crossing ShinRa troops had fallen…only one person remained to defeat…but the young-looking female felt her breath catch in her throat as her amethyst irises came to rest on the scene of Sephiroth and Ross…the older of the two had the teenager held up by the throat………but what frightened Rika more than anything else; was the way in which Ross wasn't even fighting back anymore………

* * *

How she'd gotten there without being noticed – she'd never know, but Rika halted her blow; the one that would finish this all…she stood silently behind her former-lover – her Sol Blade held ready to plunge through the Nightmare, but one thing was stopping her………if she did what she intended; there was a chance of harming Ross with her blade, considering the closeness Sephiroth had the youth held at………

"I'll…be…fine………"

Sephiroth half laughed the teenager's statement, assuming it was him he'd been talking to…Ross smirked as he stared straight into the Nightmare's cold green eyes………

"I was…talking to…Rika!"

Before Sephiroth had time enough to snap his head around…Rika acted; the once-upon-a-time second in command plunger her Sol Blade through the upper back of her former General…penetrating his chest cavity………ending his four year reign of terror on Gaia………Sephiroth made to say something to his former lover…but was cut short as a deep crimson liquid made its way up his throat…the Nightmare released the youth he'd been holding and fell forwards, collapsing to the ground as the severity of the fatal wound he'd sustained taking its toll………Rika watched on through welling eyes as her once-upon-a-time flame slowly dissipated back to the Lifestream…despite her best efforts – a tear rolled down her cheek…he was gone, for good this time.

A huge cheer went around as the countless individuals – all battered and bruised saw the last of the ex-hero dissipate…...…it was over – at long last, after four years of hell and numerous lost friends…it was all over.

Rika smiled as the joyous cheer erupted, signalling the end of the war…but whatever joy she felt quickly evaporated as her eyes came to rest on the youngest of the teenagers…the sole instigator of the revolution………the teenager was lying on the cold concrete, and as far as she could see – he wasn't moving………

* * *

_**A/N; Cliff-hanger, I know!!! Please don't kill me!!!!! Let me know if all my hard work paid off guys!!!!!**_

_**Thanks!**_

_**XXXXX**_

_**Renolvr:-P**_


	16. Tears or Laughter?

_**A/N; Sorry for the delay peoples - my computer hates me! It wouldn't let me upload anything - so now I'm trying to upload this on one of the school computers!!!**_

* * *

"Ross?" 

Rika dropped her blade as she called to the youth – no response came; only the reverb of her Sol Blade clattering as it struck the cold and uncaring pavement beneath her feet. The ex-SOLDIER suddenly felt her heart lurch as harrowing thoughts shot around through her mind all at once; _had she harmed Ross when she'd killed Sephiroth – had her blade not only penetrated the Nightmare's chest, but the seventeen-year-old's too? Had she just killed her friends' son?

* * *

_

An eerie silence fell over the large crowd as they all followed Rika's frozen gaze…Jared, Robbie and Aiveen all shot forwards as Rika bent down beside the blonde youth – one of their friends had already sustained fatal injuries and now lay fighting for his life onboard the Shera …they seriously couldn't register the fact that another of their friends was hurt – maybe dead………not when the five of them had been together through thick and thin – through hell and back - especially not Aiveen; not when she'd just told him she was pregnant…she had to tell her parents yet………

* * *

"Ross; please Minerva, don't be dead, please………"

Rika prayed out-loud through her hoarse voice as she knelt down beside the blonde youth, the three remaining teenagers having come to a halt behind her…the young-looking female rolled the blonde teenager over, tears beginning to well in her eyes once more as she felt the worst possible price for peace coming………Rika set her eyes on the teenager's upper chest, expecting, despite her prayers, to see the evident mark of a stab wound in that region – she same wound that had killed, both; Sephiroth and Cloud………but there was no such mark upon the youngster…the ex-SOLDIER allowed her eyes land upon Ross' face as an unusual sound broke the unnatural silence – laughter………

"He _**so**_ didn't know you were behind him! You should've seen his face!"

Rika sat back on her butt as relief washed over her… of which was quickly replaced by amused anger;

"You fucker Ross Strife! I thought I was after killing you – you little fucker! My heart's still up in my mouth with you – Ooooh; if I wasn't so relieved right now – I'd kill you myself!"

Ross just continued to laugh his heart out from where he lay on his back on the cold concrete………and as his laughter rang out, others' joined in…until the whole group rang with laughter………

"Whooo-hu! We won! We fucking won! No more_ political treason_! No more Mako-Reactors – we fucking beat him!"

Rika laughed at Ross' shout – it was some difference from the teenager who had refused point-blank to take part in any fighting only a week or so previous………then a thought occurred to her, she spoke lowly so as none of the other adults or teenagers could make out what she was saying to the youngest of the Strifes', a malicious smirk playing on her lips as she whispered to him;

"I wouldn't be too happy if I was you – I may not have killed you; but Vincent will…"

"Now that's just plain mean! Ya couldn't let me be happy, could ya Rika!"

Rika shook her head smirking, as she stood back up, happy with the ego-check she'd just given the youth…

"C'mon Spikey…time to get back to the WRO base; Declan needs the medical facilities…and you need medical treatment………"

Rika walked on several paces, and then came to a halt as she realized the cheeky blonde wasn't following her, but now sitting up on the ground looking up at her;

"I'd follow you if I could………but my right leg's in bits…fuck it; I'm in bits – _**Ah**_! Aiveen; leave me alone!"

Ross curled into a ball in an attempt to evade his girlfriend's swipes…Minerva; she was pissed off! Aiveen halted her attempts at slaps as she eyed the youth through teary crimson irises;

"You asshole Ross – d'you know how fucking scared I was?! I told you to be careful…and you go off and almost get killed – are you thick or what Strife?! The last thing I need right now, is to tell my parents that I'm pregnant, but the idiot of a Daddy went off and got himself killed!"

Despite the fact that Aiveen had delivered this mouthful in her true-to-self fashion; i.e. – all in one breath! Most people picked up on the few key words, such as;_ Ross_…_Daddy_…_pregnant_………needless to say it took only mere seconds for Aiveen to realize she had well and truly stuck her foot in it – especially when the Robbie and Jared caught onto the revelation…Jared stared in amazement at the blonde still seated on the ground, then back to Aiveen, who now stood with her eyes wide and one of her hands placed over her mouth………

_**"YOU'RE PREGNANT?!?!"**_

Robbie just smirked his typical Highwind smirk and laughed lightly as he spoke;

"Declan's so not gonna believe dis one y'all!"

* * *

Ross cringed slightly as both Jared and Robbie hoisted him from the ground…every inch of his body hurt………the teen smiled sheepishly as he hobbled past a certain red-caped, black-haired individual, with the help of his two male friends…he was in for a bollicking – and he knew it! All the youth prayed for, was that Yuffie would have the cop-on to take her ex-Turk husband's bullets from him before Cerberus had the chance to be loaded………

"Fuck me; news travels fast y'all – oww!"

Cid only smirked as he withdrew his hand from the back of his son's head;

"Don't fucking curse – oww!"

Shera shook her head as she smacked her husband sharply across the back of his blonde head – talk about a hypocrite! Robbie grinned as his father walked back onto the Shera, cursing foully beneath his breath whilst rubbing his head………news did travel fast, that very fact being proven right then, despite the night that had been in it; countless news crews and reporters now swamped the outside of the WRO base…each one as eager as the next to verify the rumour that had quickly circulated throughout the nearby towns and cities of Edge………

* * *

An unnatural silence fell over the large congregation as airship had touched down – that alone signalled something; The Shera hadn't been sighted in four years after it's pilot and his wife had been taken………

Tseng took one look at the countless individuals standing in the freezing cold, to be blatantly honest; the Head-Turk didn't know what to think…all he knew at that moment in time, was that there were two teenagers' on board that needed immediate medical attention………a quick glance over his shoulder to those beneath his and Veld's command and the order was issued;

"Clear a path to the base; alert the crews that a public state of emergency had been put in place earlier this day to ensure the safety of the civilians of Edge…a public statement will be given in due time………"

Ross grinned as he took in the sight of the gathered people and blinked suddenly as several flashed affronted his gaze…the youth was ecstatic; everything had just taken on a new perspective in his eyes…yeah; one of his best friends was seriously hurt, but, for some odd reason; the seventeen year old knew Declan would be alright…Aiveen was pregnant-sure, the two of them may still have only been kids themselves; but he was willing to give it a go – why not? Aiveen had his girlfriend for over three years now, he loved her-of that he was sure beyond all doubt…so why not?!

Ross groaned slightly as another wave of agony shot across his back…and then the ground beneath his uninjured leg seemed to give way also, just as his eyes rolled back in their sockets………

"Ah – ya fat fucker Strife! You're too heavy!"

Jared let this shout escape his lips as Ross seemingly dropped like a ton of bricks, bringing both him and Robbie, of who had been supporting the blonde, down with him, the three teenagers landing in a pile on the ground………

* * *

"Mom, Dad; please don't be angry – I didn't mean for this to happen, I swear…but now that it has – please don't kill Ross Dad! He didn't mean it anymore than me…and if you still want to hurt him, can you wait until he's awake for a start…shit; no, I didn't mean that…...Oooooh; I don't know what to say! Rika; help me please?!"

Rika smiled as she stood behind the rambling teenager…she'd promised she would help if she could, and this was where she stepped in;

"Aiveen's four months pregnant – Ross is the father."

And with that the ex-SOLDIER stepped back from the family unit having said her part…leaving Aiveen curled up in a ball on the sofa in the staff lounge in the WRO base, with one pillow rammed over her ear…a muffled cry met Rika's ears;

"That was some help – I'm so dead now!"

Yuffie smiled lightly as she bent down alongside the sofa until she came to her daughter's level…the Wutain Queen gently lifted a corner of the pillow and peeped in to see glistening crimson irises staring back at her…

"Oh hunnie; what are we going to do with you?"

Aiveen shrugged as she rammed the pillow back over her ear, hiding her face for the second time…half afraid to meet either gaze of her parents………

Vincent allowed a small smirk to lighten up his pale face as he walked over to sofa and sat down on the arm nearest his teenage daughter's head………

"You really need to slow down when you talk…imagine a child trying to learn speech if you just race through each of your sentences?"

The frightened teenager moved the pillow over slightly so as she had a clear view of her mother, shock was evident on the youths pale face as she spoke in a quiet voice…

"You're not angry?"

Yuffie shook her head, smiling comfortingly as she explained her and Vincent's calm attitudes towards the news;

"Rika helped you more than you think…while you, Ross, Robbie and Jared spent the whole ride back by Declan's bed, Rika was talking with us………Aiveen, sweetie; we're your parents, we'll always stand by you, no matter what happens. And so will Ross – trust me on that one; he's a lot like Cloud…he won't high-tail it on you………c'mon, cheer up hun!"

Aiveen smiled despite herself from beneath her pillow, still not fully willing to emerge from it's darkness………Vincent smirked wider as he intentionally leaned back on the arm and toppled over it onto his daughter's frame…

"Dad! You're too heavy – you're squashing me!"

"A couple more months and it will be the other way round!"

"Now that was uncalled for!"

And with one well-aimed kick, Aiveen succeeded in knocking her father from the sofa and onto the ground………Rika smiled as Vincent stood back up, rubbing the back of his head where he'd made contact with the ground………

* * *

_"Ross………"_

Ross opened his eyes as a familiar female voice called his name, but to his utter confusion and shock, the youth found himself standing amidst pure whiteness, as far as his shimmering cerulean eyes would allow him to see was total, pure white, a vacuum of detail and colour………

"Well done…"

The blonde youth turned full circle as he suddenly registered the familiar female voice that had sounded, his eyes widened considerable upon them landing on the image of black-haired, wine-hued eyed female, of whom he instantly recognized;

"Mom………"

Without so much as another moment of passing, Tifa had pulled her teenage son into a tight hug, tears streaming down her face as she spoke;

"I am so proud of you Ross…you honestly don't know how happy I am………"

Ross just stared blankly over his mother's shoulder…how could she be so forgiving? The seventeen-year-old yanked back, gently removing his mother's hands from his frame…

"But…but I let you die………"

"Don't go down that road………it'll only tear you apart in the end – trust me on that one………"

Now that was a voice and face he hadn't heard nor seen in years………Ross Strife shook his blonde head in disbelief as another blonde came into view…the same spikey blonde hair, the same pale complexion, the same shimmering oceanic eyes………Cloud smirked lightly upon seeing the utter confusion that crossed his son's face………

"We haven't got long, but anything at this stage is long enough; Declan will be okay…it'll take a while, but he'll be as good as new…Vincent isn't going to kill you………look after Aiveen, please, she deserves it Ross………and lastly; your daughter will be fine………be safe…"

Cloud smirked all the wider as he place a hand on his, still confused looking, son's shoulder and pushed the youth back sharply………

* * *

Ross sat up suddenly as the sensation of falling came to a sudden halt………but allowed a shout out as pain seared across his back, catching him off guard………

Marlene jumped from her computer terminal as her younger brother came to with a start………

"Ross! Take it easy – you'll tear the stitches out of your back if you do that again! And don't move so quick; you're gonna pass out again…you lost a lot of blood-"

"Okay, okay – I get the picture Marlene………"

"Ross!"

Before anyone had time to locate from which direction the shout had come from, a blur of black shot past and bounded up onto the blonde youth's bed…but Aiveen had over estimated the distance………

"Ow, now that one hurt!"

Ross slowly dragged himself up off the floor of the medical ward as Aiveen sat grinning sheepishly on his bed………

"Did you enjoy your fall?!"

* * *

_**A/N; So - what ye think huns??????**_

_**XXXXX**_

_**Renolvr:-P**_


	17. Closure

_**A/N; This is coming to a close peoples - only two or three chapters left in it! Awwwww!!!! I'll miss it!**_

* * *

"But I want to go in there!"

"You can't!"

"Why!"

Jared rolled his eyes towards heaven as Aiveen stared at him accusingly, he looked to the other males for support – none of which he got! Robbie simply smirked, unwilling to say a word to the argument, and Ross proved no better in Jared's defence – simply shrugging from where he stood on crutches………the Turks' son turned back towards the angered Aiveen, taking a deep breath as he did so, trying his best not to lose the head with her;

"Look Aiveen; Rufus is in there, he's Rufus' son before he's our friend…fair is fair, we can't just go barging in and hang around like a bunch of kids – someone'll call us when he's awake………okay?"

"No…not really………but you're right………I'm goin to bed, can one of you guys call me if anything happens…if you're awake?"

The three males simply nodded their heads as the only girl of their group turned and headed for her sleeping quarters, evidently exhausted…pretty much everyone had either gone to the medical wing, or their sleeping quarters at this stage, it was still early in the morning, mornings' first light still hadn't appeared on the horizon yet – so sleep had been the obvious option for those injured or weary.

"You two go on – I'll stay up, I've already been asleep………sit down before you fall down lads!"

Both Robbie and Jared looked the blonde youth, after about a minute of thinking; the two youths looked to one another, then back to the battered blonde, Jared raised a brown eyebrow in a questioning manner;

"You sure Ross?"

Ross nodded his head, smiling slightly;

"Yeah, definitely…everyone else's gone already, I'll give the two of you a shout if anything happens…"

* * *

Rika stared silently at the ceiling above her bed; lost in her own thoughts as the events that had all transpired in that one night all began to catch up with her…the way he'd looked at her when he'd turned around, the look in his eyes………he'd wanted to tell her something – of that she was sure, she'd seen that look before…a lifetime ago, when everything on Gaia had been right, when there had been only one Jenova, and all that anyone had known of her had been the knowledge that she was the woman who had given birth to the great General Sephiroth…not a two thousand and whatever year old calamity that fell from the sky and set about bringing Gaia to its knees………_what had it been that he'd wanted to tell her?_ It was that question alone that tormented Rika – whatever he had been about to say…it hadn't been the Sephiroth that had tried to kill both her and Aiveen that had wanted to say it – it had been the Sephiroth she'd fallen in love with all those years ago………but whatever it had been that he had wanted to tell her, would now be forever lost………and it was her fault.

Silent tears slid backwards over Rika's cheeks and down into her deep brown hued hair…now it truly sunk in for the first time that night…_**she'd killed him**_. Of course, Rika had been well aware of the likeliness of it coming to that since she helped Ross that night in the alley…and she'd told herself countless times that he had no longer been the man she'd fallen for…only a shell; acting on another's orders…that she'd be doing him a favour in setting him free…it had to have been done – if not by her, then someone else………but still the guilt remained – what had he wanted to tell her? People often say that; in your final moments, you find redemption…had that happened for the Nightmare?

"I'm sorry………"

Within seconds sleep had overtaken the ex-SOLDIER………

* * *

"Thanks Cissnei…"

Rufus gratefully took the cup of coffee the Turk offered him, Declan had been out of surgery for over four hours at that stage, and still nothing looked to be in the youths' favour, the teenager had undergone several skin grafts in an attempt to mend his shoulder where the flesh had been ripped away down to the bone, compliments of the Shadow Creeper that had jumped him, the teenager also now had a large scar running down the centre of his chest from where he'd had an operation to deal with his punctured lung, things were never straight forward – and this certainly didn't oppose that fact; a broken rib had had to be removed as it had impaled the youth's lung………Cissnei smiled sympathetically towards her boss, understanding why the company owner was sick with worry, he had every right to be………

"Sir…_Rufus_; if it's any constellation; I can't see him giving up that easily without a fight…not when everything's looking up for once………he'll be alright."

"I hope you're right Cissnei…"

Cissnei placed her hand lightly on the President's shoulder as she passed and walked back out the door;

"Trust me Rufus – I am."

* * *

"So, what's gonna happen now?"

Ross looked to his older brother as the question left his lips, they'd gotten this far…he'd never really considered what would happen if they were to have succeeded…Denzel shrugged, wincing slightly as his bruised ribs kicked up, compliments of the rifle butt he'd had rammed there, along with a couple of stitches above his right eye, all caused by the unmerciful blow of the rifle he'd been subjected to…

"Dunno, never really saw myself getting out of that place………7th Heaven's still in one piece as far as I know, you've Fenrir…I suppose we just pick ourselves up and give life another go…d'you think Aiveen'll fancy being a barmaid? How'd Vincent react? Did Yuffie have to take Cerberus away from him or what?"

Ross smirked slightly from where he sat on a couch, the teenager shook his blonde head;

"Nah…I think Rika spoke to them first, neither of them are mad or pissed off – it's kinda weird………are you serious about re-opening 7th Heaven Denze, after everything that's happened?"

Denzel smiled as he nodded his hazel haired head, it seemed like the right thing to do…

"Mmm…why not? What else have we left but that place? That's why Mom rebuilt it after sector 7 went down – to prove that it was possible, so why can't we do the same? The same with Dad and The Strife Delivery Service – that had only started out with him lending people a hand when Edge was being built after Meteorfall………no matter how bad something looks – a phoenix always rises from the ashes –**_ hey!_** You little runt!"

Denzel ducked as another cushion was thrown forcefully at him…Ross smirked as he stopped firing the cushions for a few seconds;

"Too serious! I'm sick of serious stuff!"

* * *

_I'm sorry, I never wanted it to end that way, I…I didn't have a choice………you lost your way, it was the only choice I had left………I'm so sorry…Sephiroth………_

"_**Rika…open your eyes Rika look at me when you talk to me………"**_

Rika opened her amethyst hued irises as the overly-familiar voice rung through her head, their shimmering depths came to rest on his figure standing against the opposite wall of her sleeping quarters, the ex-SOLDIER took a breath to shout, knowing that her Sol Blade now hung in her wardrobe, to his left, but she was halted as his voice broke the silence;

"Call them if you wish to do so, but they will not see me…they shall think you have gone mad Rika…"

Sephiroth trailed off as he laughed lightly…but not the way anyone in the base would have thought he was capable of; it was a genuine laugh………one of heart-felt meaning………

"W…what do you want – I thought you were gone…I – I did it, I saw you die…I-"

"I know, I am fully aware of all those points Rika…and I am gone, for good this time. I thank you though – guilt is hurting you…why, I do not know – you have nothing to feel guilt for…you helped me."

Rika shook her head, trying to understand what was happening – had she gone mad?

"But…I don't understand…"

Sephiroth stood from the wall and walked towards her bed, slowly as to not startle her unintentionally;

"I do not either…but I have been given this chance to help you………I am sorry Rika, I mean that with all my being, I know I do not deserve your forgiveness for what I did, and what I attempted to do…the truth is painstakingly obvious to me know – I got what I deserved, I was correct in what I stated; Blood shall have blood…but wrong in my interpretation of it………it was my blood that was destined to be spilt, not Ross' – I know that now. I wanted to tell you something Rika………"

Sephiroth paused as he looked into his former-lover's irises………then took a breath;

"I lied when we spoke in the training hall – I did, and still do; love you."

Without even daring to give it a second thought ; Rika stood and wrapped her arms around his neck, comforting in his touch, his feel, his smell – everything she had tried to forget since that night in Nibelheim…

"I love you too………"

Sephiroth smiled as he pulled away and stepped back a few paces…Rika watched on as the man she had fallen for smiled…then he spoke;

"I must return now, but before I do – there is someone who wishes to meet you, just once………"

Her eyes followed the former-General as he stepped sideways to reveal a youth standing behind him…

Rika stood staring at the young woman, she had the strangest feeling that she should know who the girl was…but she never recalled meeting one of her description before in her life; wavy locks of silver and irises of the deepest amethyst…but then how come the girl seemed so familiar to her?!

The youth smiled slightly upon seeing the confusion that crossed Rika's face, Sephiroth looked from the youngster to Rika, and spoke one simple message before both he and the young woman walked away into the whiteness that had materialized behind them;

"All souls' return to the Lifestream………even that on unborn children………I'll look after her Rika, I promise you that, and I will not break this promise."

* * *

_**A/N; So...hey; how come no one picked up on what Aiveen and Ross' baby is gonna be - or did ye?**_


	18. A Father's Promise

**_A/N; Only about two chapters left after this one peoples, the last is gonna be a kinda epilogue, but for now; here's this one!_**

* * *

"I swear to Minerva; if I catch you – you're dead Reno!" 

Ross smirked as he hastily pressed his frame up against the wall; clearing the way as Reno ran past, shouting several "_jiggles_" related comments as he went; Rika closely followed the vivid-haired Turk, but stopped as Reno turned a corner…

"Giving up?"

The young-looking female shook her head at Ross' comment, a grin tugging at the corners of her mouth;

"Nope…I know where the flight of stairs are!"

As if on cue; several loud bangs and thumps echoed throughout the corridor, accompanied by numerous foul-mouthed curses………Ross laughed lightly as he realised what had just happened;

"I'm guessing Reno doesn't!"

Rika shrugged as she turned and began walking back down the corridor she'd just chased the Turk through, Ross accompanying her;

"Ah – he does now! So; I heard you're goin back to Edge, back to 7th Heaven?"

Ross nodded his blonde head, thinking back over the last couple of days that they'd spent in the WRO base, sure; it had been nice to be a kid again, to hang out with his friends, well; most of them, and not have to worry about being spotted by any of Sephiroth's troops or worry about where the his next meal was going to come from…but it was time to get back on track – a lot of Gaia had been damaged by the Nightmare's rule…Wutai had been brought to its' knees as its' Royal family had been imprisoned, and their Princess cast into the life of a city rat…it hadn't taken long for the great nation of ninjas to fall into the iron grasp of the Nightmare………numerous other villages, towns, and cities had been ravaged and destroyed – countless lives had been lost in the four years………but now it was time to start picking up the pieces and putting them back together…again.

"Mmm hmm………Aiveen's talked to her Mom and Dad, she wants to stay in Edge…they've agreed, probably had no choice – Aiveen _**does not**_ back down that easily! So's Rufus, the ShinRa HQ is being repaired right now, most of it's west wing went down thanks to Robbie and Cid…Junon's taking in recruits again………Tseng, Elena and Jared are going back too………that's the plan anyhow, none of which is goin ahead till Declan's stable enough to move………what about you? What are you gonna do?"

Rika smiled genuinely as she answered the youth's query…everything was looking up, for once…the planet and its' people were picking themselves up once more;

"I'm gonna stick around Ross…probably lend a hand to Rufus and Reeve…and if there's ever and opening for a barmaid – you know who to ask!"

* * *

"Sir; the press is pushing for a statement from you…" 

Rufus looked up as a flash of vivid red caught the corner of his eye, the company owner took a breath to reply to the Turk, but stopped short as he realised it wasn't Reno who had addressed him…

"Tell them I am currently dealing with personal matters…and if that still doesn't prove enough for them; then kindly tell them to fuck away…I have bigger problems to be dealing with than them right now………"

"Eh…I think I'll go with_ no comment at this moment in time_………."

Rufus smirked despite himself as Rod exited the room again…he hadn't meant to sound so pissed off with the Turk – but things were seriously starting to get on his nerves in the last couple of days………it had been a total of four days since the night of Sephiroth's downfall, four nights since his son had been injured, and still nothing seemed to be going the youth's way…and all the while the press had been pressuring the WRO for a statement from the President of ShinRa………Rufus seriously didn't have the head for them at that time………

The company owner closed his blue eyes and leaned his head back, taking a rare comfort in the rhythmical beeping that accompanied the numerous wires and tubes that all seemed to emanate from the injured youth lying in the bed before him………his head was pounding as numerous thoughts continued to swirl around it constantly, _he's my son…I should've been keeping an eye on him…how could I have ignored him during the fighting-I did try to keep track of him…obviously not hard enough though………why didn't I act quicker when I saw that thing on top of him, maybe if I had; he wouldn't be in this position right now…if he dies; it's my fault………_

"Mr. ShinRa…"

Rufus opened his eyes as a voice broke the relative silence of the room, his blue irises came to rest on a white coated individual, he recognised the aged man as the doctor who had been dealing with Declan over the last couple of days…

"Is there a problem?"

The aged man sighed deeply as he surveyed the company owner, then looked to the youth in the bed, for some odd reason; he felt sympathy for the father, he'd dealt with things like this before, on uncountable occasions, but it just seemed so much more heart-wrenching this time round, whether it was because of the years of separation that had been place between the teen and his father, or the fact of the fight they'd just won and the several teenagers waiting patiently for news on their fifth friend…he didn't know, but this was more difficult than it should have been;

"We've run several tests earlier this morning, and I'm afraid things aren't good Mr. ShinRa…not good at all………your son's blood pressure is dangerously low, we've tried several medications and treatments to bring it back up to the norm for his age, but none have had the desired effect we'd been hoping for…I am sorry to say this; but there's nothing more we can do for him, his heart is weak; it may not last much longer on it's own…the option of life support still stands to your consent………"

Rufus blinked as he took in the meaning behind the doctor's words – he was asking for permission to use life-support on his son…but; Declan was going to be fine, wasn't he? Rufus stared at the ground, unwilling to look at the aged man, unwilling to show the tears that had begun to well within his eyes………

"And what? Hmm? And then what'll happen – you'll ask me for permission to turn off the machine, won't you?! So that way, it won't be your hands that his death is on, but mine! No – I'm not gonna play God, I'm not gonna decide who lives and dies, especially not when that person is my son! _**Get out!**_"

"Mr. ShinRa…I implore you to see sense, this is the final option I can offer you; a prolonging of the time he has left-"

"Shut the hell up – and get the fuck out of here now, don't you dare attempt to guilt me into anything! Get the hell out _**now**_!"

The door to the medical room once again opened as several black-suited individuals entered having heard the raised voice of their boss………

Rufus turned to face his Turks, his features dark as he spoke;

"Get him out of here now…"

It was only when the door had shut closed again that the company owner allowed reality to sink in………and as it sunk in; his façade crumbled – this wasn't how it was all supposed to have happened, none of this was right! It wasn't fair, he'd been kept from his son for four agonising years, they'd been permitted one night in each other's presences and then the fighting had started, the Shadow Creeper had attacked……….this just wasn't fair!

"Declan, please; I'm not giving up, so you can't either………I lost your mother when you born, I promised her I'd look after you; please don't make me have to break that promise, you're all I have left – you're the only thing that got me through this………just don't give up one me, please………"

* * *

**_A/N; Awwwwwww - Rufus does have a heart! Awww though, you can't help but; awwwww!_**

**_Pssst, Lamb; did I get ya crying yet?_**

**_Please review huns! Thanks even if ye don't!_**

**_XXXXX_**

**_Renolvr:-P (or as according to Retro Lamb; EMOlvr!!!!:P:P:P:P:P)_**


	19. A Promise Kept

**_A/N; Second last chapter huns! Hope ye like it! The next one should be up either tonight, or tomorrow...thanks a million for all yer support huns!_**

* * *

Aiveen brought her knees up to meet her chin as she rocked gently on the sofa of the empty staff lounge…tears made steady tracks down her pale cheeks as she looked to the television, but not even taking in the song that was playing………Cissnei had just told all the others about what the doctor had told Rufus…she couldn't believe it – one of her best friends was badly hurt and there was nothing more that could be done for him from the medical point of view………

"Aiveen…you in here?"

"No………"

Ross smiled slightly as he heard her voice, he knew instantly she was crying, though – he didn't blame her either…Declan was more like a brother than anything else to her; to them all really…his mother had died when he was born, Rufus tried his best, but he the company had to be run aswell…so any of the females of AVALANCHE had acted as second mothers' to the youth………Ross sighed as he sat down beside his pregnant girlfriend, he knew this would all pass and come a couple of years; they'd laugh at it – Declan included!

"Don't go upsetting yourself babe…he'll be fine…"

"How can you say that Ross!? You heard what Cissnei said – since when does_ life support_ mean anything good to you?!"

Ross sat back in the sofa; silently making a decision to tell her something he hadn't told anyone else………

"I know he's gonna be alright………"

Aiveen whipped her glistening garnet irises to her boyfriend's frame, how the hell could he be so sure?! Was he sure or was he just convincing himself the opposite of the truth?

"How, just tell me that; how d'you know he's gonna be alright despite what the doctor said?"

"Coz………coz Dad told me he would, Dad never broke a promise to me in my life………"

* * *

"How come you didn't tell me where the stairs was? Eh Jiggles?!"

Rika smirked as her eyes came to rest on the figure of the seated Reno with an ice-pack held to the right side of his forehead, where an evident bump was already visible…

"Hmmm…thought you knew – guess ya didn't! Call me Jiggles once more and I'll throw you down the stairs by the ponytail Red!"

Reno looked up, chancing his ever cheeky grin as he spoke in an innocent tone;

"Is that a promise………_**Jiggles**_!?"

* * *

"Cloud told you….how? When? Why didn't you tell me already!?"

Ross grinned as he began to decipher the string of questions that Aiveen had literally spat out………oh; things were definitely getting back to normal now!

"After I passed out – I guess I had a dream or something, but Mom and Dad were there………he told me that Declan'd be alright; that'd take him a while to fully recover, but he would be okay…he also said that Vincent wouldn't kill me, then told me I better look after you………and that our………"

Aiveen looked up as Ross trailed off, curious as to what he was going to say;

"Our what?"

Ross looked up and smirked, deciding to keep the knowledge of his and Aiveen's child's sex to himself………

"Nothing; I was thinking of something else………"

* * *

Rufus shot his blue eyes up as an unfamiliar series of beeps caught his attention – within mere seconds the company owner found himself amidst countless medical personnel…the father looked around in search of someone whom could tell him what the hell had just happened…his gaze fell upon the only familiar face there…

"Marlene – what's going on?! What's happening!?"

Marlene turned as she felt someone's hand gripping her shoulder, her hazel irises came to rest on her long-term friend and employer………

"His heart stopped beating Rufus…they're trying to revive him………"

* * *

"Ross – get your butt out here now! Aiveen too – Declan's after taking a bad turn _**– fucking now Spikey!"**_

Jared simply turned on his heels and ran as the additional two youths exited the staff lounge…it didn't take long for either Ross or Aiveen to realise that this wasn't just one of Robbie's jokes that he'd roped Jared into………

* * *

"Rika – I was only joking yo! Hey where're they goin?"

Reno watched on as the three teenagers ran past and around the corner at the end of the corridor…then turned his attention back to his assailant, of which still had her Sol Blade pointed towards the cheekily annoying red-headed Turk;

"Can ya kill me later – only it looks as if something's kinda up………_**Jiggles!**_"

* * *

Rufus watched on in horrified silence as numerous white-coated individuals swarmed around his eighteen-year-old son's bed, all shouting and throwing long complicated words to and fro……….but all the father could register was that his son needed help, and he was then and there useless to the cause.

Several heads within the room turned as the door opened and in appeared four additional teenagers…all of which immediately froze upon seeing the scene that presented itself to them……...

"Declan!"

"Aiveen don't!"

Ross just about managed to grab his girlfriend around the waist and swing her wide as she made a dag for their friend's bed…right then; she'd have only gotten in the way…all they were permitted to do, was watch…and pray – but it didn't look as if miracles were likely to come through at this stage of the game………

* * *

"_You've gotten so big…the last time I saw you; you were only a tiny little bundle – and now look; you're eighteen…a man………"_

Declan knew that voice – even though he could never remember hearing it before in his entire life, but it was still familiar………

"Mom………"

"_Mmmm-hmmm! What's wrong?" _

"I…I'm tired fighting………I just want to go to sleep………"

_"I know you are sweetheart, I know you are………"_

"Is…is it okay to give in Mom?"

"_If it's want you want to do, that's fine; no one will stand in your way hunnie………but you do have a choice; you can come with me if you wish, be free of the pain and fighting…or you can go back; it'll be a long road, but your friends will stand by you…so'll your father, that I know as a fact………I'm not going to make you go back Declan, and I'm not going to force you to come with me – the choice is yours alone hun………"

* * *

_

"We're losing him………"

Rufus felt the weird sensation of tears making their way down his cheeks as he watched on helpless…there was nothing he could do – and it was ripping his heart in two to just watch! Aiveen hastily turned her head away and cried into Ross' shoulder, unable to watch any longer………the blonde simply held his girlfriend's shaking frame as his shimmering cerulean irises refused to disengage themselves from the scene in front of him, only one thought circulated throughout the seventeen-year-old's mind; _but he promised_………

* * *

"Jiggles stop – look; this ain't good yo………"

Reno froze as he paused outside of the open door that led into his boss's son's room; Rika stopped her attempted killing of the Turk as she stepped forward into the room………

* * *

"I…I'm goin back Mom………I'm not ready to give-up – not yet………""I'm glad to hear that…take care sweetheart………"

* * *

Several doctors back-tracked a few paces as the youth, who'd seemed destined for the Promised Land only mere seconds earlier, cracked his blue eyes open groggily…defying any of their medical evaluations and expectations………Declan squinted against the brightness of the room and the intense pain in his chest as she moved his dark brown-haired head sideways…allowing a small smirk to lighten up his face as he spotted him;

"Hey…Dad; thanks…for not…giving up…on…me………"

* * *

**_A/N; So? What did ye think??????????????????????????_**


	20. Life's Good!

_**A/N; Last chapter!!!!!!! Hope ye like it - I typed it last night and so it has the christmas elements!!! Thought it'd be a nice way to end it seems the time of year we have!**_

* * *

"I come bearing gifts…so don't hurt me y'all!"

Aiveen smirked from where she stood behind the bar as Robbie walked through the door of Seventh Heaven, closely followed by his parents………only for the now – twenty-four-year-old to trip headlong over some stray wrapping paper that had found its way into the middle of the floor………

"Fuck sake Aiveen – d'ya ever hear of keepin de goddamn place tidy!"

"Ah; fuck off Robbie and get a life!"

"I can just feel the Christmas spirit in here yo!"

Aiveen grinned all the wider as the door to the bar opened once more and in walked most of AVALANCHE and ShinRa personnel, Reno leading the way with his trademark smirk in place as he spotted the nearest alcoholic drink……….

"Uncle Declan!"

Declan smirked as he bent down and swung his six-year old goddaughter up into his arms………

"And has little Rika been a good girl for Santy?"

The young girl nodded her head of long blonde tresses adamantly, her crimson irises flashing with the anticipation of the morning when she would be permitted to open all the presents that Santa would have brought during that night as she slept peacefully in her bed upstairs………

"Denzel! Act your fucking age and give me back the sellotape!"

"Eh………no!"

Several heads turned as the two brothers came tearing in through the house section of the building and into the bar…Denzel holding the ever-valuable roll of sellotape high above his head so as to annoy the hell out of his younger brother………

"Honestly – you're so immature Denzel!"

A young woman with light chestnut locks and acidic green irises rolled her eyes towards heaven as she snapped the roll of tape from the older of the two Strife's hand and handed it to the blonde of the duo…Denzel spun on the young woman, an amused smirk on his lips;

"I knew it from day one Brook – it was always the blondes you liked wasn't it?"

The female just shook her head, grinning as she picked up a toddler and sat him on her hip;

"I guess so Denzel, time for the truth then………well; the truth is - Ross is actually Mark's father then, not you!"

Ross turned as he continued to walk back out of the bar, the roll of sellotape firmly in hand;

"Don't be saying those things Brook – d'you want to get me put in the dog house or what?!"

Aiveen smiled as her crimson eyes scanned the near-full bar…a smile upon her lips as she recollected back over the past six years………everything had seemingly just fallen into place after Declan had been released from hospital…now; twenty-four, the young man still bore the scars of his past; numerous white lines marred his chest from where the Shadow Creeper's claws had cut his flesh, along with the most noticeable of them being the large white one that went down the centre of his breastbone, that one having been caused by the operation he'd underwent to repair his punctured lung………his shoulder was pretty much as good as new, though it wasn't capable of undergoing much stress without paining the young man, it would probably always be like that, but it was a small price to pay when considering the events that had caused the mutilation of his shoulder in the first place………and three small white lines were still visible along his right cheek, though they had faded quiet a lot in the years since that night………

"Okay – so where's my presents?!"

Several heads turned as three additional individuals entered the bar…Jared grinned widely as he took in the sight of all his friends and the few toddlers running around the place…the youngest of which having only gone two, and him being; Chris – Aiveen and Ross' second child…the youngster took more after the Valentine's where looks were concerned, having deep ebony bangs and crimson irises, though it was noticeable to see the inherited glow of Mako in their eternal depths………

Robbie looked up from where he now sat in the corner as his friend walked in, a typical Highwind smirk on his face as he spoke;

"Tis over dere!"

Jared followed the foul-mouthed young man's line of sight and smiled sarcastically as he spotted his supposed Christmas gift; a sack of coal that lay in the corner………

* * *

"Hey – Aiveen; a bit of help!"

Aiveen turned her attention to the direction her long-term boyfriend's voice had shouted from…only to shake her head and watch on in amused silence as the blonde delivery-boy half dragged his right leg as he walked into the bar, his arms full of newly wrapped presents destined for beneath the Christmas tree, his hindrance reverting back to the little two year old that clung tightly to his leg………

"Chris, let me go or I'm gonna fall over!"

"No – me want present!"

"You can have them in the morning when Santy brings the rest…c'mon now; you have to be a good boy for Santa or you'll get the same a Jared – a bag of coal!"

"I good boy…"

Ross rolled his shimmering cerulean eyes towards heaven as the little toddler began to cry………

"C'mon, I was only messing, Santa's still coming…you are a good boy!"

The blonde father placed the numerous wrapped boxes beneath the tree and then bent down to pick his son up, placing him high in his arms as a flash affronted his vision………

Yuffie smiled to herself as she continued with the clicking of the camera, catching those little moments that people so often allowed to escape………she wasn't willing to allow even one of those golden instants escape her grasp – she'd missed too much in those four years of hell…but that was the past now; they had a shining future to look forward to now, and so did the children………

* * *

"Sorry I'm late everyone – got caught up in Kalm…"

Reno turned in his seat as he registered her voice – his grin once again back in place as he let shout;

"Hallloooooo JIGGLES!"

Rika paused as she passed the red-headed Turk, after a few seconds of self-debating, she walked on past…

"It's Christmas Eve Reno – I'm not gonna hurt you today………hey hunnie; look what Santa gave me to give you!"

Rika took her goddaughter from Declan's arms as she pulled out a small wrapped box…she spoilt six-year-old Rika – and she knew it! But the way she saw it; why not? It had been a tough road to travel – but there had been a light at the end of the tunnel – when they eventually got there! Ross and Aiveen had asked her and Declan to be Rika's godparents, and she'd been only too happy to accept – but not nearly as flattered as she'd been upon finding out the name they'd given their daughter – her name………

"Rika, you shouldn't have…"

Aiveen frowned as she watched the ex-SOLDIER handing the young girl the present…Rika only smiled in response;

"I know…but sure; it's Christmas!"

* * *

"I'm bringing him and Mark up, it's getting late and much longer and the two of them'll be like live wires!"

Aiveen nodded her head as Ross passed with the two toddlers in tow………despite everything that had happened in their younger years; everything had turned out alright in the end…they'd won, they'd settled down, and now they had two beautiful children, two business on the go………and tons of family and friends to help them along the way………life was good!

* * *

_**A/N; So - that's all for Scream! It's the 25/12/07 when I'm posting this - so; MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks a million for all yer support huns! Hope to hear from ye all again in the future! Have a great christmas all of ye!**_

_**XXXXX**_

_**Renolvr:-P**_


	21. Living On Part I

**_ A/N: Heya huns! Long time no see, huh? Well, I've had a day of free classes, where I still have to sit here and "study", and I've been reading over this fic again lately - it'll be finished a year at Christmas, and I guess I just had another little idea that I never got to add into to original ending, so here's part 1 of the finale of Scream huns, I hope you like it._**

* * *

"Hey, little-man…Mom's gonna kill you if she catches you!"

Ross smirked as three-year-old Chris simply looked up innocently, from where he had been sitting quite contently upon the floor of the hall, dragging streaks of colour across the wall with his older sister's crayons.

Despite the rainbow-array of colours that now decorated the pale wall, Ross only laughed as he picked up his son, placing him upon his shoulders so as the mischevious toddler could wreak no further damage…he had been the exact same though, according to his own and all other accounts of his younger years, it wasn't that he had intently set out to do so, he had just found the alternatives boring and unworthy of his time – so he'd made his own entertainment – be that "borrowing" the keys to Fenrir to see if they would float in the toilet bowl or not, or seeing just how protective of her Materia Yuffie could be. The best had been when when they'd been about twelve or thirteen, they'd all been at ShinRa for something or other, he couldn't remember specifically what exactly, but they'd all been kids really, and sure; they should have know better and all that, but kids would be kids, and they'd choses _**not **_to know better that day…well, one thing had led to another, and let's just say it had ended with several crashed mainframes, and even more angry parents. After that though, everything had changed.

They hadn't been allowed outside to hang-out with each other, he could remember asking why, but all Tifa or Cloud had told Ross had been that it wasn't safe; that _**He**_ wouldn't pass up a change of making it personal, and that he didn't deserve to have to deal with the burden of the last generation…

It had confused him for months on end as to who the identity of _**He**_ was, never once had his parents, or any of the others for that matter, said the name or why they had to stay away from him, well – not infront of Ross or any of the other kids that was. After months of uneasy unknowing, the identity of the mystery_** He**_ had been revealed…Denzel had grown tired of watching his little brother and his friends be molly-coddled into thinking there was nothing wrong, while they knew there was something out of the ordinary occuring, and anyway; there had been something wrong - something very wrong – they hadn't been little kids, they'd had a right to know what the hell had been going on around them, so he'd told them all he knew…something that had earned the eldes of the Strifes' an unmerciful ear-lashing from his parents! But at least someone had told the youths about Sephiroth and the three remnants – though looking back, Ross could see that none of them had truly taken on board the severity of the situation…and beacause of that – things had gone horribly, _**horribly**_ wrong.

They'd though they'd know better. They had thought their parents to be wrong – everyday, Ross had been forced to listen to warning after warning regarding this Sephiroth person, someone he had only ever heard of and heard stories of – in his young mind, he had not believe even half of the stories to be true…but he knew now that it had been him who was wrong, not his parents. Despite the constant warnings, Ross and the rest of the gang had still decided to hang out by the Meteor Monument in the centre of the city, not telling any of their parents of their plans, for the fear of being detained instead of allowed out…it had all been okay until He had arrived – they had greatly underestimated Sephiroth, Ross quickly became aware of the truth of all those stories as horrid reptilian-dog like creatures had formed a circle around him and the gang…the his Dad had been there, telling them all to run, to go home quickly – but none of them had moved, whether he had been unable to move due to fear or shock, Ross would never know. But everytime he had closed his eyes, he had seen the same scene over and over again...Kadaj...his Dad. Those dreams had stopped, thankfully. But it didn't stop the twenty-four –year-old feeling great remorse and guilt for what had been lost along the way...his Dad, his Mom, the friendships that had been broken – the loves that had been lost…

"Where was he?"

Ross shrugged as he placed Chris down onf the floor of the bar, having been jolted from his reminising by Aiveen's query – he hid a smirk as he straightened himself and turned to face his girlfriend.

"You'll find out when you see the new colour scheme in the hall…"

"Daddy! When did you get home?"

Rika sat up on the table where she'd been doing her homework, evidently having not realised or noticed when her father had walked through the bar after finishing his last delivery of the day. Ross stuck his tongue out as he folded his arms across his chest, eyeing the seven-year-old with feigned indifference;

"I've been here all along Rika – don't tell me you didn't notice?!"

The young girl returned her father's gaze with equal steadiness, knowing that he was only teasing her really, she shook her head of blonde tresses, still tied back in the braid her god-mother had fixed for her earlier, due to it falling down in her way while doing her homework.

"Really? Then how come Denzel called to say you'd be a little late home because you had another delivery?"

Ross rose his blond eyebrows, slightly confused as to how the little girl had known so much about his plans...

"And just how do you know that?"

This time it was Rika's turn to stick out her tongue;

"Coz I answered the phone!"

* * *

**_A/N: I'll get part II up as soon as I can huns, and I hope you all liked it. Let me know what you all thought!_**

**_XxxxX - Renolvr :P_**


	22. Living On Part II

_**A/N**_: Yes...I am actually alive! :P Sorry this took so long to get up, school and work has been an absolute nightmare to deal with - but here's the last part of Scream anyhow...and this time it is actually the last part:P

* * *

"Where did Daddy go? I thought he was finished working Mommy?"

Aiveen smiled as she gently pushed some hair back from her daughter's face, trying not to explain too much as to where Ross had gone, if the little girl noticed her Uncle wasn't at the bar later, then she would definitely have some explaining or covering-up to do, but the kids weren't going to be told regardless. If she had learned one thing from her teenage years, it was that children should never have to carry on their parents' sins or problems. As to where Ross had gone, well more so Ross and Denzel - the two of them had gone to the old church in the slums of Midgar, to mark the day that was in it. It had been seven years to the date since everything had suddenly gone wrong.

* * *

"Hey Squirt -"

"Why do yo _**always**_ have to call me that?!"

Denzel laughed lightly as he strolled up the middle of the old church, taking note of the gaping hole in it's roof and the large pool of water that shimmered in the slight sunlight that entered through the make-do skylight.

"Habit at this stage to be honest, been here long?"

Ross shook his head, leaning back in the wooden pew of the front row of seats, choosing to look up at the blue sky through the hole in the room instead of staring at the pool of water…it just felt odd to be back here. He hadn't been back in over three years, not since Rika had shown up that night. And although it held some bad memories, partially symbolizing the years they'd all spent apart and struggling to survive on their own, it also stood for a lot of good memories and held sentimental value. The years they'd spent playing games with Marlene, running up and down the wooden floorboards while his Dad had been out running deliveries and his Mom had been taking care of the bar.

"It's still weird not having them around, huh?"

Denzel nodded as he leaned back against one of the colossal pillars that supported the roof of the church, nodding as he did so. It was true, even after seven years since the only father he had really known since what had happened at Sector Seven had been killed - and he still tended to forget from time to time. He still walked through the door of the upstairs attic room, expecting to see Cloud either on the phone or sorting through some invoices for past deliveries…but he never was, only his younger brother now. The same thing tended to happen when he walked through the door of Seventh Heaven, Tifa had almost prided herself on running the place, and it had been a tough job too. Between himself, Marlene and Ross - the poor woman had had her hands full, but she'd never complained - ever. She had merely put on a smile and carried on with one thing at a time, always chipping away at a mountain of tasks…but she wasn't there anymore now either…none of his parents were. He'd lost his biological parents in the Sector Seven collapse…that alone had been an unbelievable blow in itself, eight years old and an orphan in a strange place…but then he'd been taken in. Cloud and Tifa had been amazing, and nothing below that. They'd treated him as if he'd been their own, given him back a life he had thought was gone from him - but now even they were gone too.

"I don't care how many years it's been…it still hurts and I don't think I'll ever fully accept it…_**Squirt**_."

Ross cringed slightly as his annoying nickname reverberated in the almost silent church - but he knew exactly how his older brother felt. He still felt guilty regardless of what everyone said, he still saw his father's death as his fault to an extent, and as for his mothers…well, although he thoroughly hated Sephiroth for both his parents deaths, he saw his own part in it too. Everyone else seemed to have moved on, and congratulations to all of them for that, he would never hold that against them - ever. Sure, they still missed their friends, but as selfish as it sounded, Cloud and Tifa hadn't been their parents…it wasn't the same as it was for him, Denzel, and Marlene, though at least she had Barret to fall back on at the end of the day.

But they couldn't live all their days living in the past…hadn't their own father done that? And nearly lost himself to it in the end? It hurt, it hurt like hell even thinking about it, but they had their own kids to look out of now, he had Rika and Chris, while Denzel Mark - and as Minerva as his witness - he would _**never**_ allow anything to happen to his children! He didn't care, pain, sadness, hardships…he would gladly take it all on if it would stop it from befalling Rika and Chris.

"But we have to. We have to accept it - coz they're not coming back, ever. I don't care about what ever happens to me, but I'm not gonna let Rika or Chris go through half of what we did…I'd rather die."

A long sigh echoed throughout the church as Denzel slowly stood from leaning against the pillar, then crouching down to pick up several stones from the wooden floor, staring at them intently as if examining them before allowing all but one to fall back to the ground. The young man smirked as he stood back to his full height, then threw the remaining stone ahead of him and into the middle of the pool of water.

"You're right…and I don't admit that often…but you are for once. Mom and Dad might be gone now - but we live on."

* * *

_**A/N**_: Y'know what I just copped...it's been a year since I supposedly finished this the first time around! :P Talk about sticking to a date! :P Thanks for reading huns - and seems it's Christmas Eve over here - **_MERRY CHRISTMAS HUNS!!!_**


End file.
